Serendipity
by Serafina Silvertongue
Summary: This story starts at the time Wanda first meets Jamie. It is from a new character, named Lexi's point of view.
1. Chapter 1

**The Host: Fanfiction**

_Please note that I do not own 'The Host'. That is Stephenie Meyer's work and I am not trying to abuse it. Also, this fanfiction does not start at the beginning of the story. This story starts with Wanda's first encounter with Jamie. It is from a new character, named Lexi's point of view. Enjoy and please comment!_

I tried to tell him it was a bad idea. He didn't listen, as usual. I would have argued more, but I could tell it wouldn't do any good. So I sat with him, waiting for it to arrive. We waited for a long time, or maybe it just felt long, with the two of us leaning against the wall, saying nothing.

Finally, it came. As soon as it saw us, its eyes grew wide, and its hand clutched at Jeb's arm in fear. I wondered for a moment how we could possibly be scared of these things. But then I remembered what had happened on my last birthday, and I knew why they were so frightening.

"Well, for Pete's sake!" Jeb exclaimed, obviously irritated. "Can't nobody keep a secret around this place for more'n twenty-four hours? Gol'durn, this burns me up! Bunch of gossipmongers…"He trailed off into a grumble.

I was too occupied looking at it to try and hear what he was saying. I glanced over at Jamie for a moment, and saw that he, too was staring at it. His eyes were sad, and I could tell he was angry with himself for feeling this way. He didn't want to be a kid, he hated it when Jeb called him that.

I put my arm around Jamie, trying to comfort him, and he smiled weakly at me for a moment, but his eyes were still as sad as before. I wished I could do something to help him, but I knew that all I could do now was stay with him.

"Jeb," Jamie said-a gruff greeting. He looked quickly at it, and then away, at the far wall.

"Whatcha doing here, kids?" Jeb demanded. I opened my mouth to reply, but Jamie interrupted me.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jamie demanded back.

Jeb went silent.

"Was that Jared's idea?" Jamie pressed.

"Jamie…" I murmured warningly, looking from Jeb to Jamie, and back again. My hand moved to Jamie's and he squeezed my hand harder than usual, as if trying to gain strength from it. _I'd give you all the strength I have if I could, Jamie_, I thought morosely.

Jeb sighed. "Okay, so you know. What good does that do you, eh? We only wanted to-"

"To protect me?" he interrupted, surly.

I squeezed Jamie's hand hard, warning him again.

"Fine, Jamie. So you don't need protecting. What do you want?"

Jamie was surprised by Jeb's quick agreement, and so was I. It was rare that Jeb would go down without a fight.

"I-I want to talk with her…with it," he finally said. His voice was higher when he was unsure.

"She doesn't say much," Jeb told him, "but you're welcome to try, kid." Turning to me, he said, "You gonna stay too?"

I nodded without a moment's hesitation. Jeb pried its fingers off his arm. When he was free, he turned his back to the nearest wall, leaning into it as he eased himself to the floor. He settled in there, fidgeting until he found a comfortable position. The gun stayed balanced in the cradle of his lap. Jeb's head lolled back against the wall, and his eyes closed. In seconds, he looked like he was asleep.

It stood where he'd left it. It looked like it was trying not to look at Jamie, but it couldn't. This puzzled me. Why would it want anything to do with Jamie?

Jamie was surprised again by Jeb's easy acquiescence. He watched the old man recline on the floor with wide eyes. Then Jamie looked back at it, and I saw his eyes narrow.

I noticed that its knees were starting to shake, and it moved slowly to the tunnel wall across from Jeb and slid down to the floor. There, it curled up around its bent legs, as though it were trying to be as small as possible.

Jamie watched it with cautious eyes and then took four slow steps forward until he stood over it. I stayed close to him, just in case. I looked at Jeb, who hadn't moved or opened his eyes, and then Jamie knelt down at my side, and I followed. Jamie's face was suddenly intense, and it made him look more adult than any expression yet.

"You're not Melanie," he said in a low voice.

It said nothing, simply shaking its head. I wondered why it didn't speak. Was it afraid?

"You're inside her body, though," Jamie said.

It paused again before nodding.

"What happened to your…to her face?" I asked quietly.

It shrugged.

"Who did this to you?" Jamie pressed. With a hesitant finger, he almost touched the side of its neck. It held still, but he withdrew his hand before touching its neck.

"Aunt Maggie, Jared, and Ian," Jeb listed off in a bored voice. We all jumped at the sound. Jeb hadn't moved, and his eyes were still closed. He looked so peaceful, as if he had answered Jamie's question in his sleep.

"Ian?" I muttered, shaking my head sadly. How could he do this? Sure, it wasn't human, but even so… I would have to talk to him later.

Then I noticed that Jamie hadn't spoken again, and I saw that he was looking at me gently. It was my turn to smile weakly, and we stayed this way for a moment, looking at each other, before Jamie turned back to it.

"You're not Melanie, but you know all her memories and stuff, right?"

It nodded again.

"Do you know who I am?"

"You're Jamie." Its voice was so soft I had to strain my ears to hear what she…what _it_ had said.

Jamie blinked, startled that it had spoken. Then he nodded. "Right," he whispered back.

We all looked at Jeb, who remained still, and then Jamie and I turned back to it.

"Then you remember what happened to her?" Jamie asked.

It winced, and then nodded slowly.

"I want to know," he whispered.

It shook its head violently.

"I want to know, "Jamie repeated. His lips trembled. "I'm not a kid. Tell me."

"It's not…pleasant," It breathed.

His straight black eyebrows pulled together and up in the middle over his wide eyes. "Please," he whispered.

It glanced at Jeb before replying, "Someone saw her go into a place that was off-limits. They knew something was wrong. They called the Seekers."

We both flinched at the title.

"The Seekers tried to get her to surrender. She ran from them. When they had her cornered, she jumped into an open elevator shaft."

Jamie's face went white under his tan, and I squeezed his hand gently.

"She didn't die?" he whispered.

"No. We have very skilled Healers. They mended her quickly. Then they put me in her. They hoped I would be able to tell them how she had survived so long." Suddenly its mouth snapped shut. Jamie didn't notice, but I could tell it didn't mean to say all that. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jeb's eyes open and stare at it. Jamie didn't notice that, either.

"Why didn't you let her die?" Jamie asked. He had to swallow hard; a sob was threatening in his voice. I felt a lump rise in my throat at the sound of his voice, so miserable. I blinked back the tears in my eyes.

"I wasn't in on the decision," it murmured. "I was still in a hibernation tank in deep space when that happened."

I blinked in surprise. I hadn't been expecting it to say that. I wondered how far off the rest of our science fiction theories had been from the truth. I laughed quietly, thinking of the days before the invasion, when "aliens" had meant little green men in space suits.

"Where were you coming from?" Jamie asked.

It smiled at him before replying. "Far away. Another planet."

Suddenly I heard footsteps. I jumped to my feet and turned to see Jared at the end of the tunnel.

Jamie ignored my reaction and kept asking questions. "What was – "he started to ask, but he was interrupted by another question.

"What the hell?" Jared shouted at us, frozen with fury. "Damn it, Jeb! We agreed not to – "

Jamie got to his feet at once. "Jeb didn't bring me here. But _you _should have."

Jeb sighed and got to his feet. As he did so, the gun rolled from his lap onto the floor. It stopped only inches away from _it_. We all stood still for a moment, watching it, but all it did was shift away from it uncomfortably.

I almost laughed, watching it. A human would have grabbed the gun immediately, but what was it doing? It was actually moving away from the gun.

Jared had a different reaction than I did, though. He lunged towards it, closing the length of the hallway in a few strides. It cowered into the wall and covered its face with its arms. I watched him pick up the gun quickly, watching its every move.

"Are you trying to get us killed?" he almost screamed at Jeb, shoving the gun into his chest.

Jamie had let go of my hand now, and was staring angrily at Jared.

"Calm down, Jared," Jeb said in a tired voice. He took the gun in one hand. "She wouldn't touch this thing if I left it down here alone with her all night. Can't you see that? He stabbed the barrel of the gun toward it, and it cringed away. "She's no Seeker, this one."

I understood what he meant, but Jared didn't seem to want to even consider the possibility that it wasn't dangerous.

"Shut up, Jeb, just shut up!

Jamie was very angry now. "Leave him alone," he shouted. "He didn't do anything wrong."

"You!" Jared shouted back, turning on Jamie, now. I stepped forward, moving protectively in front of Jamie. "Get out of the way Lexi," Jared said, a bit more calmly. I didn't move. Jamie glared at me and whispered, "This is between me and him. Stay out of it." I glared back at him, but after a moment, I moved back reluctantly.

"You get out of here _now, _or so _help_ me!" Jared continued when I was out of the way.

Jamie balled his fists and stood his ground.

Jared's fists came up, too.

"You shouldn't have tried to keep this a secret from me," Jamie said between his teeth. "And you shouldn't have hurt her." His right hand unclenched and pointed at its face.

Jared spit on the floor angrily. "That's not Melanie. She'snever coming back, Jamie."

"That's her face," Jamie insisted. "And her neck. Don't the bruises _bother_ you?"

Jared dropped his hands and closed his eyes. After taking a deep breath, he said, "You will either leave right now, Jamie, and give me some space, or I will _make _you leave. I am not bluffing. I can't deal with any more right now, okay? I'm at my limit. So can we please have this conversation later? And Lexi, if you don't leave, I can promise you that Kyle will hear about this." He opened his eyes again.

I glared at him angrily. _Kyle_, I thought. He wouldn't be afraid to give me a few bruises. _It builds character_, he'd say. I was strong for my age after living on the run for so long, but I wasn't _that _strong.

"Sorry," Jamie muttered, breaking the silence. "I'll go…but I'm not promising that I won't come back."

"I can't think about that now. Go. Please."

Jamie shrugged. "C'mon Lex," he said. Then he turned to look again at it, and left. I trailed behind, glaring at Jared for another moment.

"Please." Jared said, pleading with me now.

I sighed, and then turned to follow Jamie. There was at least one thing I knew for sure; it was going to be a _long _day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

We walked in silence for a while, neither of us wanting to talk about what had just happened. Finally, Jamie said,"Lex?"

"Yeah?" I replied, rather wearily.

"D'you think she, I mean it, is really bad? I mean…It doesn't seem all that dangerous to me. And I know what happened with your parents, but what if it's different?"

I looked up at him, ignoring the comment about my parents. That was the last thing I needed to think about now. His eyes looked a little nervous, maybe about what I was going to say. I thought for a moment before answering.

"Maybe…I don't know Jamie. It doesn't seem like the others, that's for sure. But what if it's acting?"

"I don't think it is. Besides, parasites are horrible actors. Don't you remember seeing any of their TV shows?" He laughed at this, and the sound echoed through the silent cave.

"TV…It seems like it's been so long since I've seen anything on TV." I thought back, to before the Invasion. I remembered sitting on my father's lap in between Ian and my mother, with Kyle sitting beside Ian. We had been laughing at a movie. I had forgotten the name now, and why it had been so funny, but I remembered the laughter and smiles. We had been so happy then, so unaware of what was to come.

The memory made me sad, but I didn't cry. I hadn't cried since I was eleven, before the Invasion. "_You have to be tough now,"_ my father had told me one night. We had been hiding in an abandoned cabin in the woods, and Ian, Kyle, and my mother were all sleeping. But I had had a nightmare, and I had woken my father. We were sitting on an old bench on the cabin's porch. It was cold, but I didn't mind. "_You have to be strong, and you have to protect your brothers. They need you. You have to stay together." _I could still hear his voice, soft but firm, gentle yet commanding.

_"I will, I promise Daddy. But you'll be with us too, right? You'll protect us," _my twelve year old self had said, looking up with affection at her father.

_"I don't know Lexi. I hope so. But Lexi, no matter what, I will always love you. Never forget that."_ His answer had not been what I had been expecting. I was sitting beside him. Now I lunged forward and wrapped my arms around him, telling him I loved him over and over again, and that he could never leave me. He held me for several minutes, and then he sent me to bed. That had been the last time I had seen him.

"Lex? Lexi?" Jamie's voice brought me back to the present.

"Sorry," I said, feeling as though I had just woken up from a dream. "You're right," I said, after pausing for a moment to remember his question. "They always were terrible actors."

"So I don't think it's acting. Maybe it's just not like the others."

"I guess we'll have to see." At that moment, we arrived at my room. I shared it with Kyle and Ian. "Well, see you later." I waved to him and entered the room, moving the two doors – one red-painted wood and one gray metal – out of the way and replacing them.

"See you." Jamie called back.

When I stepped inside, Ian was waiting for me. I groaned silently.

"I heard," he said.

"From who?" I asked, wanting to know who had ratted me out.

"Jared told me. He was pretty upset." Ian sighed. "I told you specifically _not_ to go near it. Why don't you ever listen to me Lex?"

"I _do _listen to you! Just not for everything."

"Name one time you've listened to me," Ian said, crossing his arms.

"I brush my teeth." I said after thinking for a moment.

Ian laughed, and tousled my hair. "I'll give you that one."

"So, am I off the hook?" I asked.

"Well…"

"Please Ian? I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I'll try harder."

"And will you promise to stay away from it?"

I thought about this. I couldn't could I? Jamie would want to go back, I was sure of that. And that meant I had to go with him, for safety reasons if nothing else. Jamie was smart, but he could be reckless, too, and he got into trouble easily.

"I can't," I said finally.

Ian's expression turned hard. "Why not?"

"First of all, we both know Jamie will go back, no matter what Jared says. I have to go with him; you know how careless he can be. And second of all, I was talking to Jamie, and we don't think it's necessarily bad Ian. We don't think it's lying; it's certainly not a _Seeker_. What if it's different? What if it's good? What if – "

"Yeah, well what if it's _not _good? What if you trust it and then it kills you? Do you not remember what _they _have done? Don't you remember what they did to _our parents_?"

That was going too far. He should have known better than to bring our parents into this. I felt my anger boiling up inside me, and before I could try to stop it, I exploded.

"Oh yeah? And how's it going to kill me exactly Ian? Huh?" I was yelling now, and I didn't care who heard. "With Jeb's gun? He's not stupid! Besides, it wouldn't even touch the gun! That's right! It wouldn't even _touch_ the gun! Today Jeb dropped the gun and it rolled toward her. And guess what? She cringed _away_ from it? She's _scared _of us!"

"It's not human, Lexi!" Ian yelled. "It's not like us!"

"So that gives you the right to hurt it? That's Kyle's job, to be a moron. You're supposed to be the smart one! But instead you're being stupid! You're _all_ so stupid! What if that was dad's body? Would you hurt it? Even if he _is_ gone, it would still be _his _body."

"That's different." Ian said more quietly.

"No, Ian," I said, lowering my voice as well, "It's really not."

And with that, I turned and fled.

Okay, so I didn't exactly _flee_. Actually, I walked over to Ian, grabbed my clothes and the few possessions I had, stuffed them in my canvas bag, and left. Over my shoulder, I called, "I'm going to Jamie's!" There was no reply.

I walked over to a small circle with a jade green screen. I pulled back the screen to see Jamie sitting on a mattress on the floor. He raised his eyebrows when I came in, and I quickly explained my fight with Ian. He understood, of course, and told me I could stay with him as long as I wanted.

He also pointed out that I would have to deal with Kyle too, sooner or later. I groaned at this, and said"Don't remind me." After this, I became aware that the busy morning had left me exhausted, and Jamie left so I could sleep.

* * *

When I woke up it was darker, but it was still light enough that it must have been day. I was wondering what to do, and where I could go to avoid Kyle, when my stomach grumbled. I worried that I might see Kyle, but after another grumble from my stomach I obeyed it and made my way to the kitchen.

I walked cautiously into the kitchen, ready to make my escape if necessary. Wes was the first to spot me, and he grinned at me.

"No worries, Lex. He's not here."

I breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to join him, grabbing a piece of bread on my way.

"So," Wes said, trying to sound casual, "What did you do this time?"

"It's not me," I said between chews, "It's he and Ian. They're the ones who are being stupid. They won't let me go near _it_." I emphasized the 'it' so he would know what I was talking about.

Wes raised his eyebrows in surprise. "And you want to because…"

"Jamie wants to, first of all, and I don't think it's bad. I'm curious, though. I bet it could tell us some interesting stories."

Wes shrugged, and asked, "Why won't they let you visit it?"

I scowled,"They say it's dangerous."

"You know they only want the best for you, right?"

"Yeah, I know. But they're being so _stupid_. I mean, Jeb would be with me, and so would Jamie. I would be safe."

Wes nodded. "I guess you're right. Uh-oh, here comes Kyle."

I didn't have time to run. Kyle was walking into the kitchen, talking to Andy. When he saw me, he stopped immediately and walked towards me, his face grim.

"Ian told me you went to see it." He said.

"Yeah, so?" I replied, trying to sound nonchalant, although I suddenly felt nervous.

"We told you to stay away. It's dangerous Lex. I don't care if you think it might be _good_. It's still not human. Stay away from it Lex, or I'll make you stay away."

I stood my ground, glaring back at him. "You can't make me. Jamie and I are going to keep visiting it and that's that. You can hit me as many times as you want, the bruises won't make a difference."

Kyle narrowed his eyes. He hated it when he didn't get his way. "Listen to me, _Alexandra Mallory O'Shea_. You are going to stay away from _it_, or I will physically tie you to a chair and put you in our room. Do you understand?"

I said nothing, still glaring at him. I hated being called by my full name.

"I said do you understand?" He yelled the words this time. "How about this? Either you stay away from _it_, or you won't be able to see Jamie. That means no talking to him, no looking at him, no _breathing in the same area as him_. I will _not_ allow it. You know I always have my way, Lex."

My mouth fell open as I realized that he could, in fact, force me to stay away. He would stay with me everywhere I went, even the _bathroom_ if he had to. Like he had said, he _always _got his way.

"Are we agreed then?" He said, smirking at his victory. "You'll stay away from it?"

"Fine," I grumbled angrily.

Kyle nodded, satisfied, and turned back to Andy.

I stalked away, grabbed some bread, and went back to Jamie and Jared's room.

* * *

I spent the rest of the week sulking, for the most part. I did my chores, I ate, and I slept. I was still in Jamie and Jared's room, but no one seemed to care. Jared had taken up guard duty down by the storage, where they were keeping it, so he was never in the room anyways.

I tried a few times to visit it, but someone always caught me. Kyle, Ian, Brandt, even Andy seemed to be watching me, making sure I didn't go to see it.

One day, Kyle went down to see Jared, and I followed him silently. When Jared saw him, he lunged to his feet.

"Get out of here," he warned, holding the gun ready.

"Just checking," Kyle said. "Someday you might not be here. Someday you might sleep too soundly."

I wanted to punch him as hard as I could when he said that, but I couldn't. Instead I crept silently back down the hall, and went to report the news to Jamie. I hadn't been able to see much of it, but from what I had seen, it looked okay.

A week later, Ian came back from the visiting Jared with a cut on his cheek.

"What happened to you?" I asked.

"Jared," He replied. He wouldn't tell me any more than that, so I wasn't sure what had happened. But I overheard him one day, talking to Jeb, and I found out that Jared had been questioning it, and Ian had taken a punch for it.

Later that night, when I was sure Kyle was asleep, I crawled over to Ian.

"What's gotten into you?" I whispered. "I thought you were a parasite hater. Now you take punches for your enemies?"

Ian scowled. "How did you find out?"

"I heard you talking to Jeb."

"Of course," He sighed.

We were silent for a moment, and then Ian said, "I think you're right, though. I think it _is_ different. Maybe it's even good."

"So can I go see it? Please Ian? I'll be careful, promise. And Kyle doesn't have to know."

Ian sighed again, and then replied, "Fine. Just promise you'll be careful."

"I will Ian, I promise." Then, he opened his arms to me, so I hugged him. I fell asleep in his arms that night, dreaming about my mother and father, and happy memories of our family, together.

**That's the end of chapter 2. Please review, commentary is greatly appreciated! Also, please excuse any grammatical or spelling errors. I will try my best to use good grammar and spelling, but I may miss a few things now and then. Thanks, Serafina Silvertongue**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everybody! I was finally able to upload the third chapter! Hurray! Sorry it took so long, but this one is pretty long, so hopefully that will make up for it. Enjoy, and please review!**

Chapter three

The next morning, I woke early as usual. I still felt Ian's arms around me, warm and comforting, but then I noticed that it was silent. It was _never _silent in our room when Kyle was there. He was always talking, or if he was sleeping, snoring. But now there was a strange, unbroken silence in the room.

I lifted Ian's arms gently off me, and crawled over to Kyle's mattress. He wasn't there. This worried me, because Kyle never got up early. Back when we had gone to school, my mother had always had to shake him, and sometimes yell at him a bit, before he woke up. He was a deep sleeper. Once, he didn't wake up until three in the afternoon.

So, if Kyle was up early, something important must be happening. I wondered what it could be. I gulped. They wouldn't be _killing_ it, would they? No, I decided, Ian would have told me. All the same, I was getting more and more anxious.

My worries were erased when I entered the main hall, though. Standing in the middle of the hall were Andy, Brandt, Jared, Kyle, and a few other men. They were leaving for a raid.

"Have you come to see your brother off?" Kyle asked me as I approached. He had been in a much better mood since I had unwillingly agreed to stay away from it.

"Yep. Bring back some good food, okay?" I said cheerfully.

Kyle grinned. "I'll do my best sis. But really," he continued, struggling to look serious,"Don't you want to tell me to be careful or something? You're not _worried_ about me?"

"Oh, please," I scoffed. "You'll be fine."

Jared joined in the game now, too. "Don't worry, Lex, I'll protect Kyle from the mean aliens."

That was the too much for us. We all burst out laughing, as Ian came striding down the hall.

"Did I miss something?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Nothing," Jared, Kyle, and I replied in unison, while trying not to laugh.

Ian just laughed. "Have fun Kyle," He said. Then, turning to me, "C'mon Lex, it's our turn to water."

With a final wave to Jared, and a hug for Kyle, I followed Ian to the garden. We watered the carrots for about an hour, and then went to the kitchen with the others who had been working with us. We drank some water and talked for a while, and then Jamie came to join us.

After a while, it was time for Jamie and me to go to school. It was more like a class, actually. Sharon taught us Math, and Science, and English. Jamie, of course, always found a way to get into trouble. He thought Sharon's classes were boring, and although I usually agreed, I tried to listen and be good. Besides, Sharon had an awful temper, and while I hated to admit it, she scared me sometimes when she was mad.

Today we were learning about the universe and the planets. This was one of the few interesting lessons, the ones that captivated even Jamie. Jamie asked a lot of questions when he was really interested in something. It wasn't a bad thing, but after he had interrupted Sharon three times in a row, she lost her temper and gave him a detention.

I stayed after class with Jamie during his detention, and while I was waiting, I asked Sharon more about the planets. She was more patient with me, I guess because I tried harder than Jamie to cooperate.

"So the planets were all named after Roman gods and goddesses?" I asked.

"Yes," said Sharon. "There's Pluto, he was the god of the underworld, and Venus, the goddess of love…"

We were interrupted by Jamie.

"Hey Sharon! It's been a half an hour. Can I go now?"

"Fine," Sharon said. "If you ever want to know more, Lex, you can always come talk to me later."

I nodded and thanked her, and then Jamie and I left.

"Man, I'm starving!" Jamie exclaimed as we walked down the hall.

"Me too," I agreed. "I wonder if they've baked some more bread yet," I wondered. We headed towards the kitchen, Jamie chattering happily to me as we walked.

When we arrived, I saw Ian at the back of the room. Sharon, Maggie, and Doc were already there.

"Hey, you two hungry?" Lily called.

We nodded eagerly and she tossed us some rolls. I intercepted Jamie's and he punched me playfully on the arm before I gave it back to him. Jamie swallowed his in two bites, while I chewed mine slowly, still thinking about the Science lesson.

Suddenly, the room went silent. I looked up to see Jeb leading _it_ through the kitchen. I swallowed my bread, and looked around. Everyone was staring at it, and Sharon and Maggie were glaring maliciously at Jeb.

"Everybody full so quick?" Jeb asked loudly and sarcastically.

"Lost our appetites," Maggie muttered.

"How 'bout you," Jeb said, turning to it. "You hungry?"

It shook its head frantically as a quiet groan emerged from the others.

"Well I am," Jeb grumbled. He walked down the aisle between the counters, but it didn't follow. _It probably wants to stay as far away from us as possible_, I thought.

"Well, let's just keep on movin'," Jeb suggested as he chewed a mouthful of bread. "Nobody seems able to concentrate on their lunch. Easily distracted, this set."

Suddenly I felt Jamie stand up beside me. I looked up at him and he pulled me up.

"Jamie," I whispered, "I really don't think this is a good idea."

He ignored me and examined it through narrow eyes as he followed Jeb, towing me along. I felt the others' gazes shift back and forth between us and it.

"Whatcha need, kids?" Jeb asked without looking at us.

"Just wondering what you're doing," Jamie answered, trying to sound nonchalant, but failing.

Jeb stopped when he got to it, and turned to look at me and Jamie. "Takin' her for a tour of the place. Just like I do for any newcomer. Remember your tour, Lex?"

I nodded, remembering how strange it was the first time I saw this place. Back then it had seemed like a sanctuary to me, after being on the run for so long.

"Can we come?" I asked suddenly. I had no idea what made me ask. Maybe it was that I remembered what it had felt like to be new, in a strange place. Jamie had been the one to show me around then, and he made it his personal duty to make sure I was comfortable. I guess I thought it was my turn to do the same for someone else, even if that _someone_ wasn't human.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sharon shake her head feverishly, her expression outraged, and slightly anxious.

"Doesn't bother me…if you can mind your manners."

I shrugged. "No problem."

Jamie nodded. "I'll be good, don't worry Jeb."

"Let's go," Jeb said. He took us back out the way he had come. Jeb walked on one side of it, Jamie on the other, and I walked beside Jamie. Jamie kept looking at it, and it kept looking at Jamie, but whenever their eyes met, they looked away quickly. I was puzzled, but I didn't give it much thought.

We were halfway down the hall when I heard footsteps behind us. I was about to turn when it skittered to one side of the tunnel, sweeping me and Jamie along with one arm so that it was between whatever was coming. Apparently it had heard the footsteps too.

"Hey!" Jamie protested, but he didn't knock its arm away.

Jeb was just as quick as it in reacting. He raised the gun so fast I didn't see it leave its strap.

Ian and Doc both raised their hands above their heads.

"We can mind our manners, too," Doc said. I looked at Ian, silently asking him why he was here. _Later_, he replied, in the same silent language. I shrugged and turned back to Jeb, who was squinting at Ian, the barrel of the gun shifting to follow his gaze.

"I don't mean any trouble, Jeb. I'll be just as mannerly as Doc."

"Fine," Jeb said curtly, stowing his gun. "Just don't test me. I haven't shot anybody in a real long time, and I sort of miss the thrill of it."

It gasped, and we all turned to see its horrified expression. Doc was the first to laugh, and then we all joined in.

"It's a joke," Jamie whispered to it. I watched as his hand strayed from his side, almost as if he was reaching for its, but he quickly shoved it into his pocket. It dropped its arm too, which was still stretched protectively in front of us.

"Well, the day's wasting," Jeb said, still a little surly. "You'll all have to keep up, 'cause I'm not waiting on you." He stalked forward before he was done speaking.

"Sir, yes sir," I replied, saluting him. This made Jamie laugh, and I smiled before following Jeb. This time it kept close to Jeb in front, Jamie and I walked in the middle, and Ian and Doc took up the rear.

Ian and Doc, not surprisingly, were true to their word. They followed behind quietly, sometimes talking quietly to each other every now and then. I tried to understand what they were saying, but they could have been speaking German for all I could understand. So I gave up trying to figure out what they were saying, and paid attention to Jamie. He was silent, looking every now and then at it, and then back down at the floor. I wanted to speak to him, to break the silence somehow, but I didn't know what to say.

As a result, we walked in silence, Jeb chattering away to it, although it didn't seem to be paying much attention. Finally we arrived in the south wing.

"This here is the southernmost spur of the tube system," Jeb explained to it. "Not super convenient, but it gets good light all day long. That's why we made it the hospital wing. This is where Doc does his thing."

The moment Jeb announced where we were, it stopped dead in its tracks. Its eyes bulged with terror, and flickered between Jeb's face and Doc's. _What is it worried about?_ I wondered. Then I realized. _It must think we brought it here so Doc can…_I shook my head. _It thinks we're going to kill it._

The others stared back at it, expressionless, and Doc looked surprised. I reached out to touch it, placing my hand gently on its arm. It started to cringe away, but then it saw me. I looked at it with kind eyes, and murmured, "No, it's okay, really."

Jamie joined in, saying softly, "Don't worry, it's okay. Right Uncle Jeb?"

"Sure it is." Jeb's blue eyes were calm and clear now. "Just showing you my place, kid, that's all."

"What are you talking about?" Ian grumbled from behind us, sounding annoyed that he didn't understand.

My response was automatic, "Oh, don't be such a sourpuss, Ian."

It burst out laughing, and then, realizing we were staring at it, stopped abruptly. Suddenly I laughed too, and soon we were all laughing, though no one was sure why. Then, once we had all quieted, Jamie asked it, "Did you think we brought you here on purpose, for Doc? Because we wouldn't do that. We promised Jared." It didn't seem to be convinced, though.

"Oh!" Ian said as he understood, and then he laughed. "That wasn't a bad plan. I'm surprised I didn't think of it."

I scowled darkly at him, and patted its arm before removing my hand. "Don't be scared," I said.

Jeb took up where he'd left off, acting as though nothing had happened. "So this big room here is fitted up with a few cots in case anyone gets sick or hurt. We've been pretty lucky on that count. Doc doesn't…" I stopped listening there, and let my mind wander for a while. Doc caught my attention by asking, "What do you know about alien medicine?" He cocked his head to the side, and watched its face with expectant curiosity.

It stared at him silently.

"Oh, you can talk to Doc," Jeb encouraged it. "He's a pretty decent guy, all things considered."

It shook its head once.

"She's not giving away any trade secrets," Ian said sourly. "Are you, sweetheart?"

"Manners, Ian," Jeb barked. I made a mental note to thank Jeb later.

"Is it a secret?" Jamie asked.

It shook its head again. We stared at it confusedly, and Doc shook his head in bafflement.

It took a deep breath, and then whispered, "I'm not a Healer. I don't now how they – the medications – work. Only thatthey _do_ work – they heal, rather than merely treating the symptoms. No trial and error. Of course the human medicines were discarded." I stared at it blankly. _How, though? They had been here for less time than we had, and yet they had found a cure for all our diseases? How?_

"Your kind didn't change too much of what we left behind, "Jeb said thoughtfully after a moment. "Just the medical stuff, and the spaceships instead of planes. Other than that, life seems to go on just the same as ever…on the surface."

"We come to experience, not to change," it whispered. "Health takes priority over philosophy, though." it shut its mouth suddenly, though I didn't know why.

Jeb nodded slowly, then ushered us ahead. We were quiet the rest of the way, and I thought about what it had said. _"We come to experience, not change."_ They came to _experience_, so they had to get rid of us first? The thought angered me. They were _visitors_, and this was how they treated their hosts? Their _hosts_. I shuddered at the word. That was exactly what we were to them, _hosts_, bodies to live in, nothing more. They were parasites. _But_, I reasoned with myself, _it isn't bad. You said yourself, and so did Jamie, and Ian. It's…different. But what does that mean_, I argued. _It could be better, or worse, than the others. Maybe it really is lying._ My thoughts were interrupted by a gruff remark by Jeb.

"Go do something useful, "He said to Ian and Doc.

Ian rolled his eyes at Doc, but they left. I turned to go with them, but Jamie hesitated, so I waited.

"You two come with me," Jeb said, more friendly now. "I've got a job for you two."

"Okay," Jamie said, and I shrugged. Life in the caves was good, but it could be boring. I could use a little excitement.

Jamie and I walked on either side of it. I was surprised when we reached Jamie and Jared's room. Jamie pulled the screen aside for it, but stayed in the hall.

"You okay to sit tight for a while?" Jeb asked it.

It nodded, and ducked through the door.

"I got things to do, kids," Jeb said to Jamie and I. "Food ain't gonna fix itself, you know. You up to guard duty?"

We nodded in unison. I saw its eyes widen in disbelief as Jeb gave Jamie the rifle. I laughed silently at its expression.

"Are you _crazy_?" it shouted. I jumped slightly. I had never heard it yell before. It reached for the weapon, but stopped suddenly. I stood, frozen, watching it in awe. Next, it turned on Jeb.

"What are you thinking? Giving the weapon to two children! They could kill themselves!"

"Jamie's been through enough to be called a man, I think," Jeb replied calmly." He knows how to handle himself around a gun. And Lexi," he said, turning to me, "Well, Lex, is tough, and I reckon she's been through a lot more than almost anyone here." His eyes were sad as they watched me, and I smiled warmly at him. Jeb had become like a grandfather for me, these past few months, even if he did seem pretty crazy sometimes.

"What if they come for me with them here? Do you think of what could happen? This isn't a joke! They'll hurt them to get to me!"

I felt a jolt of compassion for it. It was _worried_ about _us_? It didn't make sense. Unless…unless it really _was_ different.

"Don't think there'll be any trouble today. I'd bet on it."

"Well, I wouldn't!" it yelled. "If you're so sure, then leave me here alone. Let what happens happen. But don't put them in danger!"

"Is it them you're worried about, or are you just afraid that he'll turn the gun on you?" Jeb asked.

It blinked, obviously not expecting this reaction. Neither was I, and as I glanced sideways at Jamie, I saw that he was just as surprised.

Jeb looked as though he were trying to solve a puzzle.

"Give the gun to Ian, or any of the other. I don't care," it said, its voice slow and even. "Just leave _them_ out of this."

Jeb grinned like the Cheshire cat. "It's my house, kid, and I'll do what I want. I always do." Then Jeb turned his back and walked down the hall, whistling as he went.

"I'm not a child," Jamie muttered, his chin jutting out, "Now you should…you should go in your room."

It entered the room obediently, glancing sadly at Jamie.

I sat down, and watched Jamie pace for a while. Finally, he sat beside me, the gun settling on his folded legs. He sighed after a while, obviously bored. I could have said something, but then again so could he. Besides, my head was too full of thoughts to think of something to say.

After about an hour, I turned to see it watching Jamie, fascinated and wistful. I turned back to Jamie and said, "I'm going to talk to it." He shrugged, and I crawled through the hole into the room.

It moved out of the way for me, and I sat down beside it.

"Hi," I said, awkwardly. It stayed silent, watching me. "Um…listen, I just wanted to say, Jamie and I are fine, like Jeb said, we've both dealt with harder things than this. You don't need to worry." It simply nodded, still watching me.

"I…I don't think you're bad, you know," I said more quietly. "I think you're different, in a good way."

"Thank you," it replied, quietly, and although it said nothing more, its eyes showed its gratitude.

Jamie joined in the conversation now, "That planet you were coming from before you were in Melanie, what was it like there? Was it like here?" He turned to face us as he spoke.

"No," it said, "No, it was very different."

"Will you tell us what it was like?" he asked, cocking his head to one side, the way he did when he was really interested in something.

It told us all about the _See Weeds_, the name of the inhabitants of the planet it had been on last. Their planet had two suns and an elliptical orbit. It was a waterlogged planet, it said, and its waters were gray. They had permanent roots, and a thousand eyes. It told us about endless conversations of a million soundless voices that all could hear. It was the most interesting thing I had heard about since Sharon's lesson the other day. Even more interesting, maybe.

"Is that the only other place?" I asked when it fell silent. "Are the _See_ Weeds," Jamie and I laughed at the pun, "the only other aliens?"

It laughed, too. "Hardly. No more than I'm the only alien on this world."

"Tell us." Jamie demanded.

So it told us about the _Bats_ on the _Singing World_. _I would love to live there_, I thought, as it described what it was like to live in musical blindness, and to fly. _Except for being blind_, I reflected. _I would hate to see nothing but darkness, no matter how great it was to fly_.

After that, it told us about the _Mists Planet_. On this planet, they had thick white fur and _four _hearts. It told us how to give the _claw beasts_ a wide berth, because they were dangerous.

Then it told us about the Planet of Flowers, and the color and light of the planet. I interrupted her, asking, "What about the little green guys with the triangle heads and the black eyes? The ones who crashed in Roswell and all that. Was that you guys?"

"Nope, not us."

"Was it all fake?" Jamie wondered.

"I don't know – maybe, maybe not. It's a big universe, and there's a lot of company out there."

"How did you come here, then – if you weren't the little green guys, who were you?" I asked curiously. "You had to have bodies to move and stuff, right?"

"Right," it agreed, looking surprised that I had realized this complication. "We used our Spider selves in the very beginning, to get things started."

"Spiders?" Jamie asked. I thought of the spiders we knew, with their beady eyes and furry legs. I remembered being bitten by a spider once, when I was five. I had cried and ran to Kyle, and he had held me tight. Then, he had told me that the spider had only bitten me because he was scared of me.

_"Why would he be scared of me though?" _I had asked.

_"Because you're so big and strong. He thought that you were going to kill him if he didn't bite you."_ Kyle had replied, smiling slightly. I had laughed, thinking the idea was ridiculous.

_"But I wouldn't! I wouldn't have hurt him!"_

_"Well, he didn't know that. He was just trying to protect himself. He probably has a family back at home, and think of what they would do without him? They would die. So maybe you should apologize to him for scaring him, and then he'll apologize to you for biting you."_

My five-year old self had gasped at this. _"I didn't think of that,"_ I said solemnly. Then I had thanked Kyle, and jumped down from his arms. I sprinted to where the spider had been, and to my relief he was still there. Then, I had knelt down and whispered quietly, _"I didn't mean to hurt you, I'm sorry."_ The spider said nothing, much to my surprise. But then, as if trying to show me he forgave me, he climbed gently onto my hand, which was resting on the ground. I had kept my hand very still, and when he was safely on my hand, I turned to see Kyle standing outside, watching. He grinned at me, and said, _"I think he forgives you. But you should let him go now, so he can go back home." _So I had knelt down again, after kissing the spider gently on the head, and let him go.

I was never afraid of spiders after that. They were friends, not enemies. I saw that particular spider many times afterward, and Kyle and Ian and I made up stories about his family and his adventures, and I named him Herbert. Herbert became one of my best friends over the years, and when he died, we had held a funeral for him, and all the neighbours had come, and it had been a beautiful ceremony.

That was one of my best memories of Kyle. It reminded me that he could be impulsive and even idiotic at times, but he still cared for me, and he would make sure nothing hurt me.

I smiled again at the memory of Herbert, then shook my head slightly and came back to the present.

It was telling Jamie about Spiders, and I turned my attention to t. Spiders, it said, were brilliant, and each Spider had three brains, one in each section of their bodies. It said that there was no problem, so far, that they couldn't solve. The Spiders had welcomed the parasites' occupation the most. They barely noticed the difference, it said, and when they did, they seemed to appreciate the direction they provided. The few _souls_, as it called its kind, that had been on the Spiders' planet before the implantation told the others it was cold and gray. Spiders saw only in black and white and had a limited sense of temperature. The Spiders lived short lives, but children knew everything their parent had, so no knowledge was lost.

The soul had lived one life term there, and then left, having no desire to return. The soul said that it had missed emotion and color, no matter how great the clarity of its thought and easy answers was. It wondered how any soul could be happy there, but apparently the planet had been self-sufficient for thousands of years. It was only still open for settling because Spiders reproduced so quickly.

It started to tell us how the offensive had been launched here. The Spiders, their best engineers, had made ships that moved quickly and undetectably through the stars. The Spiders had four long legs to each segment and twelve-fingered hands on each leg. The six-jointed fingers were slender, and as strong as steel threads. They were capable of the most delicate procedures. The Spiders had about the mass of a cow, but they were short and lean. They had no trouble with the first insertions. They were stronger and smarter than humans, and they had been prepared, which we had not been.

It stopped suddenly, and I turned to see a tear rolling down Jamie's cheek. I reached for his hand and he took it willingly, squeezing it hard. I wanted to hug him, but I knew he wouldn't let me. He was always trying to be so strong; I wished he would see that it was okay to cry. Not all the time, of course, but sometimes it was good for you.

"Jamie," the soul murmured. Its voice was thick, and I felt another jab of compassion for it. "Jamie, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking."

Jamie just shook his head. "'S okay. I asked. I wanted to know how it happened."

Suddenly, the soul reached out to wipe the tear away from his cheek. I watched, motionless, as I saw the love in its eyes. Even after it had wiped away the tear, it left its hand there, cradling Jamie's face. Jamie tried to ignore it at first, but then he rolled towards the soul, dragging me with him. He curled into the soul's side, and put his cheek against the hollow of its shoulder, where he sobbed for a few moments.

I felt a pang of jealousy, watching him so close to the soul. It could tell Jamie it was okay to cry without saying a word, and yet he wouldn't listen to me? I knew I shouldn't feel this way, but I still a ripple of pain pass through me. Jamie, seeming to feel my pain, withdrew from the soul suddenly, and put one arm around me, drawing me in. Then he put his cheek back against the hollow of its shoulder, and the soul put its other arm around me.

Suddenly, I was crying too, not as much, or as loudly, but all the same I was crying. The soul reminded me of my mother, with her kind eyes and soft voice. For a moment I thought it really _was_ my mother holding me, but then I remembered where I was and I cried harder than I had in eight years.

"I'm sorry," it said again and again, both to me and to Jamie it seemed.

It didn't drop its arms once we had quieted. I had shifted so that my cheek was on the soul's other shoulder, and Jamie was on the other side, although he had never let go of my hand.

"I know I've taught you better than that, kids."

We jumped apart, me and Jamie lurching to our feet, and the soul cringing into the wall.

Jeb leaned down and picked up the gun we'd all forgotten about. "You've got to mind a gun better than this, Jamie. And you should've been paying attention Lex." His words were criticizing, but his tone was gentle. He reached out to tousle Jamie's hair.

Jamie ducked under Jeb's hand, his face mirroring mine, scarlet with mortification.

"Sorry," I muttered, and turned, as if to make my escape, with Jamie walking slightly ahead of me. Suddenly I stopped and turned to look at the soul. "I don't know your name," I said.

"They call me Wanderer," the soul whispered.

"Wanderer?" I repeated.

The soul nodded, and then I turned and hurried after Jamie. We had a_ lot_ to talk about.

**So there you go. I also wanted to say that if you have any ideas for the story or ideas about how certain characters should behave, please tell me! I can take criticisim, I promise!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, sorry it took so long to update, but I've been busy with homework and basketball lately. Our school team has semi finals Wednesday, so wish us luck! Sorry, that was off topic. Anyways, as always, please review. In this chapter, as you'll see, there's a big fight scene. So if you have any ideas for what should happen next, please tell me! So here you go... Chapter Four.**

"Wow," I said once I had caught up the Jamie.

"We were right," Jamie said. "She's not like the others at all. Did…did she remind you of your mom? Is that why you started crying? Sorry, don't answer that if you don't want to."

"No, it's okay," I replied. I didn't really mind telling him. I wasn't embarrassed that I had cried. "I guess that was part of it, but part of it was the same reason you cried. I wished we could go back and warn everyone, I wished we had been ready."

"Yeah," Jamie sighed. "But those were some really interesting stories. I liked the Spiders. They reminded me of Herbert."

I smiled. "I was thinking about him too. You know, I was wondering, how far off are all our science fiction stories then? I mean, the spaceships were right, the invasion was sort of right, where nobody knows what's really happening until it's too late…What else did we guess right?"

Jamie nodded. "We weren't right about their descriptions, but other than that…I see your point. Who knows? Maybe they have laser ray guns too," Jamie was laughing now.

"Yeah," I said, laughing too. We laughed quietly for a while, and then we had reached my room. I sat down on the bed beside Jamie, and laid my head on his shoulder.

"Man, crying tires me out," I said, feeling sleepy. "No wonder my dad didn't want me to cry often."

Jamie chuckled. "Yeah, well it's hard not to sometimes."

I nodded, "You're right. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have cried back there," I paused for a moment. Then I asked, " Do you miss Mel?"

"Of course. She was always there to help me, and now…"

"Jeb was talking to me the other day, and he was noticing how it sometimes seems like Wanderer's having a fight inside. He thinks…He thinks maybe Mel's still there."

"Wanderer?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "That's what she said her name was. And it sorta makes sense, what Jeb said. Remember my dad? When we were on a raid and he…or at least his body, was there? And we almost got caught, but he held off the other _souls_, or whatever you want to call them. And then he told me and Ian and Kyle he loved us? Maybe that's what happened to him. Maybe he was still there, and maybe Mel's still there too."

Jamie was quiet for a moment. "Jamie?" I asked, and turned to look at him. He was looking at me with hope, but also despair, as if he wanted it to be true, but knew it couldn't be.

"You really think it's possible?" Jamie asked, his eyes wide.

I nodded. "I didn't think it was possible for a soul to turn good, so why not? It would explain what happened to my dad. I wonder what happened to him…" I trailed off, thinking. "I wonder if Wanderer would know."

"You could ask her," Jamie suggested.

"I think I will," I said, and at that moment I decided that I would.

"You know," Jamie said after another moment of silence," I'm really happy you came here, Lex. You're the best friend I ever had, besides Mel."

I looked up at him in surprise. "What brought this on?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I was just thinking about what I would do if you got…caught." He shuddered, and so did I.

"That will _never_ happen," I said fiercely. "And even if it did, I wouldn't let myself disappear. I'd be strong like Mel, and my dad."

"I know," Jamie said. "You're a 'fighter', like Jeb would say. And you're the bravest person I know. Even braver than Jared."

"Thanks Jamie. But you know what's strange? I'd give anything to be a coward. _Anything_. Because that would mean I wouldn't have gone through all the stuff I did."

Jamie nodded understandingly. "It makes you wonder, what would've happened if we _had_ been ready?"

"I don't know, but the world would be a heck of a lot different than it is now, I'm sure."

Jamie put his head on mine, which was still on his shoulder. I leaned into him and felt his warm skin against mine. I sighed. Life was good. Almost too good, really. I felt as though something bad had to happen soon, because life was so perfect. Then, as we sat together in a picture perfect moment, Jamie's stomach growled and the moment was over.

"Jeez, Jamie. Way to ruin the moment," I said, laughing.

"Sorry," He grinned. "Let's go get some food. We can bring some for Jeb and Wanderer too. That way, we can ask Wanderer more about the Flowers. She didn't finish explaining those last time."

So we got up, both of us groaning a bit at our stiff limbs, and headed to the kitchen. Ian, Wes, Lily, and Trudy were all there, along with a few others. Lunch meant soup today, which wasn't too great, but it was food, and no one complained.

When Ian saw us walking in, he chuckled.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, putting my hands on my hips. I hated being left out of things.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that you two are always together. It's funny. It's like you're attached at the hip, or a couple, or something."

I felt my face turn red at the word 'couple', and a glance to the side told me Jamie was blushing even more deeply than I was. Ian just laughed harder. I grabbed Jamie's hand and dragged him over to the makeshift counter where the pot of soup was sitting. We grabbed four trays of food and then headed back to Wanderer and Jeb. Ian asked us where we were going, but he didn't seem upset when I told him.

When we got back, Wanderer was talking to Jeb about dragons. Jamie and I both carried two trays and I placed mine carefully on the ground in front of Jeb and Wanderer. Jamie handed me mine, and we sat down.

"Hi Wanderer," I said.

"Hi," Jamie echoed sounding a bit embarrassed. He must have been thinking about what had happened earlier. I was surprised I wasn't embarrassed too, but for some reason, I was almost happy that I had had that _intimate_ moment with Wanderer.

"Hi Jamie, hi Lexi," Wanderer replied, sounding a little shy. Then she grabbed the soup bowl eagerly and gulped it down.

"Should known you were just being polite in the mess hall today. Gotta speak up when you're hungry, Wanda. I'm no mind reader," Jeb said after she had finished.

"Wanda?" Jamie asked.

She nodded, telling us she didn't mind.

"Kinda suits her, doncha think?" Jeb looked proud of himself, as though it were some great feat he had completed, instead of giving Wanderer a nickname. He made me think of a male peacock, showing of his tail feathers and puffing out his chest.

"Kinda, I guess," I said, not wanting to give him a reason to be even more pompous. "Were you guys talking about dragons?"

"Yeah," Jeb told us enthusiastically, "but not the lizardy kind. They're all made up of jelly. They can fly, though…sort of. The air's thicker, sort of jelly, too. So it's almost like swimming. And they can breathe acid – that's about as good as fire, wouldn't you say?"

Jamie and I nodded. _Imagine that_, I thought,_ breathing acid_. Jeb continued to tell us about the dragons eagerly, and we listened, fascinated. Jamie edged closer to _Wanda_, as Jeb called her, as the night wore on. I felt that familiar twinge of jealousy in my chest. Once again, Jamie seemed to sense my pain, and he grabbed my hand. _I'll have to ask him about that later_, I thought. _How does he always know when I feel jealous or hurt? Unless he has ESP or something, it doesn't make much sense, at least not to me. _I turned my attention back to Jeb, who yawned a huge yawn. This had us all yawning, and soon I felt tired again.

"You tell a good story, Wanda," Jeb said when we had finished stretching.

"It's what I did…before. I was a teacher, at university in San Diego. I taught history."

"A teacher!" Jeb repeated, excited. "Well, ain't that amazin'? There's something we could use around here. Mag's girl Sharon does the teaching for the four kids, but there's a lot she can't help with. She's most comfortable with math and the like. History, now –"

"I only taught _our_ history," Wanda interrupted. I guess she realized that waiting for Jeb to be quiet for a moment might take a while. "I wouldn't be much help as a teacher here. I don't have any training."

"Your history is better than nothing. Things we human folks ought to know, seeing as we live in a more populated universe than we were aware of."

"But I wasn't a real teacher," she said, looking desperate. "I was sort of an honorary professor, almost a guest lecturer. They only wanted me because…well, because of the story that goes along with my name."

"That's the next one I was going to ask for," Jeb said. "We can talk about your teaching experience later. Now – why did they call you Wanderer? I've heard a bunch of odd ones, Dry Water, Fingers in the Sky, Falling Upward – all mixed in, of course, with the Pams and Jims. I tell you, it's the kind of thing that can drive a man crazy with curiosity."

"Well, the way it usually works is that a soul will try out a planet or two – two's the average – and then they'll settle in their favourite place. They just move to new hosts in the same species on the same planet when their body gets close to death. It's very disorienting moving from one kind of body to the next. Most souls really hate that. Some never move from the planet they are born on. Occasionally, someone has a hard time finding a good fit. They may try three planets. I met a soul once who'd been to five before he'd settled in with the Bats. I liked it there – I suppose that's the closest I've ever come to choosing a planet. If it hadn't been for the blindness…"

"How many planets have you lived on?" Jamie asked quietly.

"This is my ninth," she told him, squeezing his hand lightly.

"Wow, nine!" I whispered. I wondered why she didn't stay on any of the planets she had visited. I also wondered what it would be like, changing bodies all the time.

"That's why they wanted me to teach," Wanda continued. "Anybody can tell them our statistics, but I have personal experience from most of the planets we've…taken." She hesitated slightly before saying 'taken'. I suppose she thought it might upset Jamie or me. "There are only three I've never been to – well, now four. They just opened a new world."

"Why did you never stay anywhere?" I asked, finally voicing my thoughts.

"I never found a place I liked enough to stay."

"What about Earth? Do you think you'll stay here?" _As if she has a choice_, I thought. She couldn't go back to the other souls now, so she would…what would she do? I suppose she would just have to stay in Mel's body for the rest of Mel's life, and then…what? Would she die with Mel? Or would she just live forever, in the ground?

Wanda interrupted my thoughts by speaking. "Earth is…very interesting," she murmured. "It's harder than any place I've been before."

"Harder than the place with the frozen air and the claw beasts?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in surprise.

"In its own way, yes," Wanda said before yawning. Suddenly, she got a strange expression on her face, as if she were having a conversation with someone I couldn't see. I watched her, but after a moment she was back from wherever she had been.

Jeb yawned. "I'm being downright rude, I guess. You must be bushed – walking all over today and then me keepin' you up half the night talking. Ought to be a better host. C'mon you two, let's go and let Wanda get some sleep."

"Okay, Uncle Jeb," Jamie said, and he stood up and let go of my hand. I extended my hand up to him, and he pulled me up, grinning at me. I grinned back, and I felt a warm, almost fluttery feeling in my chest.

"Hey, you two wanna help an old man up?" Jeb said from the floor. Jamie and I grinned at each other again, before helping Jeb up.

"Thanks, kids," Jeb groaned as he got up. "And thanks to you, too," he added to Wanda. "Most interesting conversation I've had in…well, probably forever. Rest your voice up, Wanda, because my curiosity is a powerful thing. Ah, there he is! 'Bout time."

I hadn't noticed the sound of footsteps coming towards us, but now I saw Doc coming towards us.

"Sorry, Jeb. I got to talking with Sharon, and then I sort of dozed off."

"We didn't even notice, Doc," Jeb said. "We were having the time of our lives here. Someday you'll have to get her to tell you some of her stories – great stuff. Not tonight, though. She's got to be pretty worn out, I'd be. We'll see you in the morning."

"Keep an eye on this," Jeb said, laying the gun beside the mat Doc had laid down in front of the cave entrance.

"Are you okay, Wanda?" I asked, noticing she was trembling. "You're shaking."

"Now, now," Jeb said in a soothing voice. "I asked Doc if he minded taking a shift. You don't need to worry about anything. Doc's an honourable man."

Doc smiled sleepily. "I'm not going to hurt you…Wanda, is it? I promise. I'll just keep watch while you sleep."

Wanda bit her lip nervously.

"Hey, Jeb? Maybe I should stay with her, if it would comfort her."

Jeb looked at Wanda, waiting for her answer. She didn't seem to be able to speak, so she just nodded once, quickly.

Jeb turned back to me. "Are you gonna be okay in there, Lex?"

"Oh, yeah. I'll be fine," I said.

"I'll stay too then," Jamie added.

"I think you'd better come with me, Jamie. Wanda's already got Lex, and besides there are only two mattresses."

"Yeah, but – "

Jeb interrupted him, saying "Night, Wanda. Night, Lex. Night, Doc." Then he headed down the hall.

Jamie hesitated, looking from Wanda to me and back again.

"You'd better go," I whispered, watching Jeb.

Jamie sighed, then nodded, still looking a little worried. "Doc's okay," he promised Wanda.

"C'mon, boy, it's late!" Jeb called.

Jamie hurried after Jeb.

I watched him leave, and then turned to Wanda. She was watching Doc, who had laid out on the mat.

"Good night," he murmured groggily.

"Night," I replied. Then, grabbing Wanda's hand, I dragged her inside the cave with me. She still looked worried, so I whispered," I'll protect you, don't worry. Besides, Doc's good. Promise." She seemed at least a little reassured, and she lay down on the foot of the bed. I lay down on the floor. She tried to move to the floor so I could have the bed, but I silenced her with a hard look.

"Good night, Wanda," I whispered.

She cleared her throat. "Good night, Lex. And thank you." I realized this was the first time she had called me by my nickname, and I felt another surge of compassion for her. I also realized that I had stopped calling her 'it' ever since she had started telling me and Jamie about the souls. She wasn't an 'it' anymore, she was a person, a friend, maybe even a little bit of a mother, for me.

Suddenly, I heard a shuffling sound from inside the room, I sprang to my feet and crouched defensively in front of Wanda. Outside, Doc was asleep. I had never thought I would be protecting Wanda, but a lot had changed in the past few days. One way or another, I knew that whoever was in the room, trying to kill Wanda, would have to go through me first.

The shadow was huge, and it loomed over me. I stayed crouched in front of Wanda, protecting her. Then the figure spoke.

"Shh, it's just me," Jamie whispered.

I punched him in the arm, hard. "What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?" I glared at him angrily, still crouching in front of Wanda.

"Sorry," he said. "But let's say I _was_ trying to kill Wanda. You would have protected her?"

"Of course," I said. "She's a person too, in fact, she's one of the best people I know."

"That's not true," Wanda whispered. "If I were good, I wouldn't have taken Mel's body."

"But you didn't know about that. You didn't know she was still there," I argued.

"Can we talk about this later?" Jamie asked. "I'm sorry, that was stupid. I was trying not to wake Doc – I didn't even think how I would scare you. You okay?" He directed the question at both of us.

"Sure," Wanda said.

"Yeah, just don't be stupid next time, okay?" I said, still a little angry.

I saw Jamie grin in the moonlight. "I'll do my best." My remaining anger dissolved and I grinned too.

"What are you doing here, Jamie? Shouldn't you be asleep?" Wanda asked.

"That's why I'm here. Uncle Jeb was snoring like you wouldn't believe. I couldn't stand it anymore."

"Don't you usually sleep with Jeb?" Wanda asked, seeming confused.

"No, I usually sleep with Jared. He doesn't snore. But you know that." As he spoke, he bent to untie the bedroll he'd dropped on the floor.

"Why don't you sleep in Jared's room, then? Are you afraid to sleep alone?" Wanda asked.

"Afraid," Jamie grumbled, offended. "No. This _is_ Jared's room. And mine."

"What?" Wanda gasped. "Jeb put me in Jared's room?"

"It's my room, too. And I told Jeb you could have it."

"Jared will be furious," she whispered.

"I can do what I want with my room," Jamie muttered rebelliously. Then he bit his lip.

"We won't tell him. He doesn't have to know," I said.

Wanda nodded. "Good idea."

"You don't mind if I sleep in here, do you? Uncle Jeb's really loud."

I shook my head.

"No, _I_ don't mind. But Jamie, I don't think you should. Actually, you shouldn't either, Lex."

Jamie frowned, trying to be tough.

"Why not?" I asked, confused.

"Because it's not safe. Sometimes people come looking for me at night."

My eyes grew wide. _Looking for her? Maybe we really are animals after all_, I thought, shaking my head in disgust.

"They do?" Jamie asked.

"Jared always had the gun – they went away."

"Who?" I asked, although I was pretty sure I already knew the answer.

"I don't know – Kyle sometimes," she said. I cringed at Kyle's name. "But there are surely others who are still here."

Jamie nodded.

"All the more reason why we should stay," I said, suddenly determined. "Doc might need help."

"Jamie, Lex – "

"We're not kids, Wanda. We can take care of ourselves." Jamie said defiantly.

"At least take the bed," she said. "I'll sleep on the floor. It's your room."

"That's not right. You're the guest." Jamie said.

Wanda snorted quietly. "Ha. No, the bed is yours."

I lay down on the floor and looked up at Wanda. "You'll have to physically pick me up if you want to move me," I said.

Wanda sighed, but crawled onto the bed.

"That's right," Jamie said approvingly. "You can use my pillow. And can you throw me Jared's?"

Wanda hesitated for the pillow under her head; but Jamie leaned over her and snatched the other one. He offered it to me, first, but I refused. So he put it in the middle, and we lay down side by side on the mat.

We lay in silence for a while, before Jamie said, "Doc has a nice snore, doesn't he?"

We listened for a moment to the low whistle that was Doc's breathing.

"It won't keep you up," I agreed.

"You tired, Wanda?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"Oh."

"Was there something you wanted?" Wanda asked after a moment of silence.

He hesitated before asking, "If I asked you something, would you tell me the truth?"

"I don't know everything," she said cautiously. I listened quietly, leaning gently into Jamie, who had put one arm around me.

"You would know this," Jamie said. "When we were walking…me and Lex…And then later Jeb was saying some stuff to me too…and it was kind of the same idea that we all had. I don't know if we're right or not though…" He trailed off for a moment before continuing. "We think…We think that Melanie might still be alive. Inside there with you, I mean."

Wanda was silent.

"I didn't know that could happen. Does that happen?" His voice broke suddenly and his arm gripped me more tightly.

"Does it Wanda?"

"Why won't you answer me?" Jamie asked after another moment of silence. He was crying now, and I felt his tears falling on my arm. I pressed myself into him, and hugged him tightly for a moment. Then Wanda crawled off the bed and hugged him too, resting her head on his hair.

"Is Melanie still alive, Wanda? Please?" Jamie's body shook more violently now, since he was not trying to hold in his sobs anymore.

"She promised she would come back, didn't she?" Wanda murmured finally. "Would Melanie break a promise to you?"

Jamie hugged Wanda more tightly now, and I let go of him, drawing back.

"Love you, Mel."

"She loves you, too. She's so happy that you're here and safe."

Jamie was silent, and I had to hold back my own tears. I was happy for Jamie, really I was. But I wanted so badly, so desperately to be the one he was hugging now, not the one he was forgetting, like I was now. It seemed as though Wanda had brought out my soft side, because now I felt like sobbing, or running out of the room.

"Is everybody like that?" Jamie whispered after a long time. "Does everybody stay?"

"No," Wanda said sadly. "No. Melanie is special."

"She's strong and brave."

"Very."

"But…" I said. "But a few years ago, my father, he found us on a raid, we almost got caught, he could have turned us in. But instead he ran to Kyle, and Ian, and me, and he told us he loved us and that he was so sorry… Was he…Was he like that too?" I struggled to keep my voice normal. "His name was Kevin. Kevin O'Shea."

Wanda gasped. "No… it can't be…"

"What? What happened to him? Please, Wanda." I begged.

"He…He attacked a Healer, and…tried to cut the soul out. They…they _disposed_ of him. Because he was in poor repair. I'm so…I'm so sorry, Lex."

That was the last straw for me. I burst out crying, repeating "No, no, no…" over and over again. Any hope I'd had for my father was shattered in an instant.

Soon Wanda started to cry, too. Jamie reached out for me, but I recoiled. I felt nothing but hate for him at this moment. He didn't care, he didn't know what it was like. Yes, his parents were gone too. But there hadn't been any hope for them. They had come _looking_ for him. My mother had, but not my father. He hadn't given us away. I had always hoped that one day he would find a way to come back, and then everything would be like it was before, except without my mother. But at least _he_ would be there. Now…Now there was no hope. There was only despair, and sadness.

"Lex…" Jamie started, but he didn't seem to know what to say.

"Just stay away from me Jamie. You don't understand," I said.

"I was just trying to be nice," Jamie said angrily. "It's not my fault your dad got killed. My parents are gone too, remember?"

"Yes, but there was no chance that your father would come back. But there was for mine. And now that hope is gone…" I sobbed harder than before.

"Thanks, Lex. That makes me feel great. You know what? Why don't you just leave, instead of staying here so we can pity you."

My blood was boiling now, but I had enough sense left in me that I didn't reply. I simply got up and left. I stepped over Doc and ran to my room. Ian was wide awake inside. He must have heard the whole conversation. He sat up and I ran towards him, sobbing.

He lay back down with me still in his arms, and I told him what had happened, including all the jealousy I felt towards Wanda. He said nothing, except, "It'll be alright, Lex." Normally I would have yelled at him, asking him if that was all he could say, and why he wouldn't agree with me. But I was too tired, now, so I just cried while he held me, and eventually I fell asleep.

**So that's it. Tell me what you thought, and if you have any ideas. This was a pretty long chapter, so hopefully it will satisfy you for a while. Oh, whoops I forgot. Disclaimer: I do not own the Host. I only own the character Lexi. I know, late much? Oh well, I'll write ASAP, promise! See ya!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Host'. I only own Lexi. Also, thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed! As for you people who haven't: *gives readers who haven't reviewed evil look of doom*. Thanks especially to LucianWriter77 for all your help. This is a really long chapter, so enjoy it! I'll probably be updating more often now, because my school is off for the Olympics. Please rate!!!**

For the next month, I ignored Jamie. I wouldn't speak to him, look at him, or acknowledge him in any way. One day in class, Sharon put us in a group together for a project, and we worked in silence, only speaking when we had to. It would have been hilarious, had we been looking in from the outside, and not actually experiencing this difficulty.

I would have rather died than admit it, but I missed Jamie. He was like my personal sun. He could make me smile when I was sad, or make me laugh when I was crying. He made everything seem better, somehow. Now, he always looked like a statue when I saw him, his face blank and expressionless.

Ian started to get fed up with us by the end of the first week.

"This is ridiculous, Lex!" He exclaimed to me one morning while we were making soap. "Remember what I said? You two used to be joined at the hip, you were so close. And now, you won't even speak to each other. And over what? Something Jamie said? A stupid remark? You're going to let _that_ ruin a great friendship?"

"It wasn't just a stupid remark," I replied curtly. "I would think _you_ would understand, since it was your dad too."

"He didn't even say anything about dad, though!" Ian said. "You were just being dramatic. _You_ started it. Not Jamie."

"Oh, so you're on his side now?" I asked angrily. "To think, you'd choose Jamie over your own _sister_."

Ian just stared at me angrily, and shook his head. "You know, Lex, you're just like Kyle, sometimes. Always getting angry over stupid things, and pretending you're right even when you're not."

I didn't talk to Ian either after that. I spent most of my time alone. The others, Trudy, Lily, Wes, all tried to convince me to talk to Jamie, but I wouldn't listen. I just isolated myself from everyone, and wallowed in my suffering.

` The only good things in my life at that moment were Wanda and the fact that although I wasn't speaking to Ian, I could tell he had really started to like Wanda. He and Doc had become her unofficial guards. They always mad sure one of them was with her.

As for Wanda, she was the only person I did talk to. I visited her almost every day, and asked her about everything, from the universe to her own life. She was the one person who didn't bother me about Jamie, although she always seemed worried when I visited her. I guessed that she was worrying that she had ruined my friendship with Jamie, but she hadn't. That was between me and him. It didn't include her.

After a few weeks, Jeb finally "convinced" her to tell everyone her stories. By "convinced" I mean that Ian, Jamie, Doc, and I asked her questions at meal times, until the others started to too. So she "taught" us every night after dinner. She seemed to like to bake while she talked. I wasn't sure why, but I helped her anyways.

One day, while Wanda was telling us about the Dolphins, a recently conquered planet, life changed in the caves.

Jamie was the first to notice.

"Hey!" he shouted. I watched him sprint out the door. I held up my index finger to Wanda, signalling to her that I would be back in a moment.

I followed Jamie down the hall. It took me a minute to realize why he was running. But then I saw the huge figure standing in the middle of the hall, and I knew. The raiding party had come home.

"Hey, Lex!" Kyle called, opening his arms to me.

I felt a rush of joy, and I ran to him. He picked me up and spun me around. I felt tiny in his big arms, like a bear cradling a mouse.

"I've missed you, sis," Kyle said before putting me down. I grinned at him.

Beside him, Jared stood talking to Jamie. I opened my mouth to say something to Jamie, but then closed it abruptly. Kyle raised an eyebrow in my direction.

"What's been going on while I was gone?" He asked.

"I'll tell you later," I muttered, looking darkly at Jamie. I caught his eye, and he looked at me hardly before turning back to Jared.

Then, the group started to move into the kitchen. It wasn't until then that I realized what would happen when they walked in and saw Wanda. But before I could stop them, they had entered the room. So I just clung to Kyle, prepared to fight him if necessary.

"What is the meaning of this, Jeb?" Jared asked.

"Wanda is teaching us all about the universe," Jamie babbled. I almost felt like hitting him. Couldn't he see what Jared was thinking? But as I watched Jamie talk, the excited look in his eyes, his bright smile, I felt my anger melt, and despair took its place. _How could I ever be mad at Jamie?_ Before I could answer myself, Jared was speaking.

_"Wanda?"_ he repeated, almost snarling with fury. I looked up at Kyle and saw his eyes narrow.

Suddenly Paige lurched to her feet and stumbled through the crowd to Andy, calling his name.

It was as though a spell was broken, at least momentarily. The others rose to their feet and welcomed the raiding party. I felt disgust as I saw how guilty they looked. Ian whispered something to Wanda, and she looked at him, her eyes wide.

"What the hell, people?" Kyle roared. He moved toward Wanda, dragging me with him.

"Please Kyle. Please." My begging was useless. He ignored me and continued toward Wanda.

"You're letting it tell you lies? Have you all gone crazy? Or did it lead the Seekers here? Are you _all_ parasites now?"

"Easy, Kyle," Walter said feebly.

Ian stepped in front of Wanda protectively.

"Things changed while you were gone, brother," Ian said quietly.

"Did the Seekers come, then, Ian?"

"She's not a danger to us."

Kyle reached into his pocket, and Wanda cringed.

"Don't get in the way, Ian," she pleaded.

Kyle pulled out a flashlight and shined it in Ian's eyes.

"So, what then?" he demanded, replacing the flashlight. "You're not a parasite. How did it get to you?"

I stood motionless, as if I were glued to the ground.

"Calm down, and we'll tell you all about it."

"No." The voice was Jared's this time. He walked slowly toward Wanda and Ian. "I don't think anyone needs to calm down. Jeb, give me the gun."

I finally came to my senses. "No, Jared. Please," I said, letting go of Kyle and standing beside Ian.

Jared ignored me, and Kyle glared furiously at Ian.

"Don't happen to have it on me," Jeb said.

"Fine," Jared muttered. "It will be slower this way, though. It would be more humane if you were to find that gun fast.

"Please, Jared. Let's…let's talk," I said.

"I think there's been too much talk," Jared growled. "Jeb left this up to me and I've made my decision."

Jeb cleared his throat.

"What? You made the rule, Jeb," Jared barked.

"Well, now, that's true."

Jared turned towards me and Ian. "Get out of my way." Neither of us moved.

"Well, well, hold on a sec," Jeb went on. "If you recall, the rule was that whoever the body belonged to got to make the decision.

"And?"

"Seems to me like there's someone here with a claim just as strong as yours. Mebbe stronger." Suddenly I understood what he meant. And I hated it. He was going to put this on Jamie. _That's not right though. That'll just cause more fighting, Jeb. What're you thinking?_

"You can't Jared," Jamie choked. "You wouldn't. Wanda's good. She's my friend! And Mel! What about Mel? You can't kill Mel! Please! You have to – "

"So," Jeb said, "you can see that Jamie's not in agreement. I figure he's got as much say as you do."

Jared didn't reply. He was too shocked, his face full of horror.

"How could you let this happen, Jeb?" he whispered.

"There _is_ a need for some talk," Jeb answered. "Why don't you take a breather first, though? Maybe you'll fell more up to conversation after a bath."

Jared glared at him, looking shocked and betrayed. Both men were silent for a moment, and then Jared shook Jamie off his arm.

"Kyle," Jared barked, stalking out of the room.

"Kyle," I pleaded, but he just glared at Ian and me, and followed Jared. The others left too, with Paige tucked under Andy's arm. Only, Ian, Jamie, Trudy, Geoffrey, Jeb, Heath, Wes, Lily, Walter, and I stayed. We were silent while we listened to the footsteps fade, and then Ian breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close. Nice thinking Jeb," he said.

"Inspiration in desperation," Jeb replied. "But we're not out of the woods yet."

"Don't I know it! You didn't leave the gun anywhere obvious, did you?"

"Nope. I figured this might be comin' on soon."

"That's something, at least."

I saw Jamie trembling, his eyes wide and afraid. I started to walk towards him, to put my arms around him, but then I stopped. Jamie looked at me strangely, almost as if he were trying to apologize silently. I looked away.

Wanda walked over to Jamie and hugged him. She whispered something I couldn't hear in his ear, and he replied just as quietly. I saw him blink back tears in his eyes, and I fought a wave of emotion that made me blink back my own tears.

Ian thumped Jamie on the back. "Don't agonize over it, kid," he said. "You're not in this alone." I noticed that Ian looked sharply at me on the second sentence, but I ignored it.

"They're just shocked, that's all," Trudy said. "Once we get a chance to explain, they'll see reason."

"See reason? Kyle?" I hissed, shaking my head.

"We knew this was coming, Jeb muttered. "Just got to weather it. Storms pass."

"Maybe you ought to find that gun," Lily suggested, sounding strangely calm. "Tonight might be a long one. "Wanda can stay with Heidi and me – "

"I think it might be better to keep her somewhere else," Ian argued. "Maybe in the southern tunnels? I'll keep an eye on her. Jeb, wanna lend me a hand?"

"They wouldn't look for her with me," Walter whispered. Wes spoke over him, but I felt so much affection for him at that moment that I had to say something. He looked so weak and sick, and yet here he was, offering to protect Wanda. Wanda needed to be protected, that was for sure, but Walter could hardly protect himself. How would he protect Wanda?

"She'll be okay Walter," I whispered to him. He smiled at me, and I grabbed his hand and squeezed it for a moment. I forgot to mention this, but Walter and I had always been really close. He was like my grandfather, wise and kind, and I worried to see him so sick. He used to tell me stories of how he escaped. He always liked to talk about his wife, Gladys, and his daughter, Emma. Gladys hadn't been able to escape, and Emma had died of dehydration in the desert, a few days before Walter had arrived here. Emma would have been a few years older than I was. When I was smaller, I used to make up stories where Emma was still alive, and we were best friends and had all sorts of adventures.

Finally, I tuned into what the others were saying. Wanda was trying to leave, it seemed, but Jamie's arms were around her waist trying to stop her.

"I just need a minute to myself," she told him. "I need to be alone. And you should have a chance to discuss this without me listening. It's not fair – having to discuss strategy in front of the enemy."

"But you're not the enemy!" I exclaimed. "Wanda, you may not be human, but over the last few weeks, you've become just as much a part of the caves as any of us."

"Lex is right, Wanda," Jeb said, nodding at me. "Don't be like that."

"Let me have some time to think, Jeb," Wanda replied. She stepped away from Jamie. Ian put a hand on her shoulder and she cringed automatically.

"It's not a good idea for you to be wandering around by yourself."

Wanda leaned in and whispered something to Ian. I strained to hear, but I couldn't make out the words. After a moment, she ducked under Ian's hand and sprinted for the exit. Jamie called after her, but Jeb shushed him quickly. We listened to the footsteps fade, and then we started talking.

We all agreed that we could _not_ give up Wanda. As I had said, she was as human as any of us now. We talked for about an hour, but we couldn't think of a solution. We eventually decided that all we could do for now would be to protect Wanda, and hope for the best.

After we concluded this, we dispersed in groups of two or three. I was the only one walking alone. Ian was beside Jamie and Jeb, and the others were too busy talking to notice me. I saw Jamie glance back at me, and for a moment I thought he was going to say something to me, but then he turned back to Ian. I followed the trio silently, thinking about Wanda, and feeling sorry for myself because I was alone.

When we arrived at our rooms, I watched Jamie go inside his room, and then entered mine. Ian said nothing to me, and left after a few minutes of silence. After he left, I heard footsteps. I peeked outside to see Jamie creeping down the hallway.

I'm not sure why I did what I did next, and it will probably never make sense to me. I had tried for the last three weeks to avoid Jamie, and now I was going straight towards him.

"Where're you going?" I asked.

"Nowhere," he muttered. "Why are you talking to me anyways?"

"I honestly don't know," I said. "You mind if I stick around?"

"Yes," he said, a little sharply.

I sighed, then said, "Fine. I'll go. Sorry."

"Wow," he said, "an O'Shea apologizing? That's pretty rare, unless you're Ian."

I opened my mouth to say something, but at that moment Wes came down the hall.

"Hey, Lex. Wanna help me make some soap?" His voice was nonchalant, but I could see from the tension in his eyes that he was fully aware of the anger between me and Jamie.

It didn't look like I had much of a choice, so I just shrugged and replied, "Sure."

"Watch yourself, Lex," Wes said to me as we walked to the bathroom. "I know you're not happy with Jamie right now, but you need to try and control your anger. It'll get you in big trouble someday, or you'll end up like Kyle."

"I know, I know, you're right. It's just hard sometimes."

"I know it is, Lex, but keep at it, okay?"

I nodded. After that, we started talking normally. Wes was one of my favourite people. He was so funny and nice. Everyone knew he like Lily, except Lily of course. I thought they would make a great couple, but Wes was too shy to say anything to her, so nothing had happened.

My hands were bright red a couple of hours later, but at least I had been able to focus on something other than Jamie. It seemed as though the more I was away from him, the more I thought about him. It made no sense to me, and it made me even more irritable.

I was pretty exhausted from the day's work, and even more so from the arrival of the raiding party. I hadn't realized it was so late until I walked through the main hall and saw the moonlight. By the time I got to my room, Ian and Kyle were both asleep. I fell asleep immediately.

I had gotten into the habit of waking up early, so that I didn't have to meet anyone. Even without Wes' comment last night, I had already started worrying that someone would push me just a little too far, and then I would explode. The thing I hated most about myself was that I really _was_ similar to Kyle, as Ian had said when it came to my temper. I got mad easily, and I hated to be wrong. Unlike Kyle, I tried to contain my temper as well as I could. So when I was really angry, like I was now, I tried to avoid everyone, so that I wouldn't do something I might regret later.

The morning after the raiding party's arrival, we had eggs for breakfast. Since I woke up so early, I had to make breakfast for everyone else. It was kind of a tradition for us in the caves. Whoever woke up first had to start making breakfast.

The eggs tasted delicious after going so long on bread and soup. After about a half an hour, everyone started to wake up. Lucina took my place when she woke up, and I thanked her before going into the fields to work.

It wasn't until a few hours later that I heard about Walter. He was sicker than ever. I rushed to the south wing as soon as I heard. He was pale, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was heavy. I sat next to him for hours, stroking his hand and speaking to him quietly. I skipped class today, but Sharon came by later and taught me the lesson as I sat next to Walter.

Doc was even worse than me. He would pace around the room for a while, and then come and look at Walter and then pace again. But he couldn't think of anything he could do for him. He just had me keep giving Walter water, and making sure he was breathing steadily. Jared had brought back some brandy, and Doc kept drinking it, bottle after bottle. I didn't try to stop him, although it made me sad to see him like this, because I had seen him in this state before. I knew that he wouldn't listen.

Lily came by every now and then, and she told me the latest news in the caves. She told me about Wanda's latest lesson, since I couldn't go, and that was always interesting. She also told me that Wanda was doing fine, but that Jamie had said Jared had upset her, though he didn't know how. I wanted to ask Jamie what he thought had happened, but I couldn't. He wouldn't speak to me now, unless I apologized. And that was _not_ going to happen. Why should I apologize? It was _his_ fault. Not mine.

So my only sources of information were Lily and Sharon, who came by to teach me in the hospital, and to see Doc. Walter was getting worse and worse, and he kept calling for Gladys. I pretended that I was his daughter Emma, and that seemed to make him happier, but he still wanted Gladys. I tried to pretend I was Gladys once, but he wouldn't believe me.

One day, Walter's bones snapped. Doc said it was the final stages of cancer, and there was nothing we could do. I forced myself not to cry, because in my mind, Emma wouldn't cry, she would be strong. So I would be strong too, for Walter, for Emma, for Gladys. More than anything, though, I wished Walter would die. I hated to see him in so much pain, with Doc having to give him some brandy every few hours to suppress the pain.

A few days after Walter's bones snapped, Wanda came to the south wing. She looked tired but healthy, and although I knew I shouldn't, I felt happy to see her.

"Are you up for another visitor, Walt?" I whispered as I saw Wanda and Ian enter.

"Ungh," Walter moaned, his lips drooping and his skin gleaming moistly in the light. I grabbed a towel from Doc's desk and wiped his face with it.

"Is there anything you need?" Wanda murmured anxiously.

Walter searched for a moment, trying to see who was speaking. Wanda stepped forward, and repeated the question. Finally Walter saw her.

"Finally," he gasped. "I knew you would come if I waited long enough. Emma, you were right. You said she would come, and you were right. Oh, Gladys, I have so much to tell you." Wanda looked over her shoulder, looking for someone.

"Gladys was his wife," Jamie whispered to her. "She didn't escape."

"Gladys," Walter said. "Would you believe I went and got cancer? What are the odds, eh? Never took a sick day in my life…" He tried to reach towards Wanda, but he was too weak, and his fingers dragged themselves toward her on the edge of the cot.

"I told you she'd come, didn't I?" I whispered.

"Yes, you did, Emma. You always were a good girl. So strong, so kind. You look just like your mother, Emma. Doesn't she Gladys?" He paused for a moment, and then seemed to forget what he was saying.

"What should I do?" Wanda breathed. I beckoned her forward, and she sat on the cot on Walter's right.

"…grandfather lived to be a hundred and one," Walter wheezed. "Nobody ever had cancer in my family, not even the cousins. Didn't your aunt Regan have skin cancer, though?" Wanda looked at me helplessly, and I searched through my memories for the answer. After a moment I found it. He had told me about Gladys' cousin Bill's aunt. She had been a famous journalist, but she had died…She had died of skin cancer when she was only fifty.

"No, dad. That was Bill's aunt, remember?" I said soothingly.

He nodded. "That's right. Bill's aunt…" Wanda shot me a grateful look and I nodded, then gestured for her to take Walter's other hand.

"Ah, Gladdie, it's been hard without you. It's a nice place here; you'll like it, even when I'm gone. Plenty of people to talk to – I know how you need to have your conversation…" His voice got softer and softer, until I couldn't hear what he was saying, although I could see his lips moving. Ian handed me a wet cloth and I began wiping Walter's face.

"I'm not good at…at deception," Wanda whispered. "I don't' want to upset him."

"You don't have to say anything," Ian reassured her. "He's not lucid enough to care."

"That's right," I whispered. "And if you do, I'll help you out." Wanda nodded.

"Do I look like her?" she asked after a moment.

"Not a bit – I've seen her picture. Stocky redhead," Ian said.

"She was beautiful though…" I said. "And strong, very strong. Before the invasion, she was a pilot in the military. She won a medal of honour for saving everyone in her plane during a terrorist attack. If she hadn't been taken by surprise…She would still be here." We were all quiet, and Wanda wiped the sweat off Walter's neck with the wet towel I had been holding.

"That's nice, Gladdie, that's nice," Walter murmured.

"How is he?" Doc asked. I hadn't notice he was awake until now.

"Delusional," Ian whispered. "Is that the brandy or the pain?"

"More the pain, I would think. I'd trade my right arm for some morphine."

"Maybe Jared will produce another miracle," Ian suggested.

"Maybe," Doc sighed.

I let my mind wander after that, and I thought about home, or what used to be home. The big house we had in California, my big yellow room, the sound of my father snoring, of my mother singing me to sleep at night. I had inherited my mother's voice, soft and beautiful, although I hadn't sung in a while. This gave me an idea. I lay down on the cot and leaned close to Walter. Then I sang softly to him, singing the lullaby my mother had sung to me when I was little.

_"Lullaby and good night,_

_In the sky stars are bright,_

_May the moon's silvery beams,_

_Bring you sweet dreams._

_Close your eyes now and rest,_

_May these hours be blessed,_

_Til the sky's bright with dawn,_

_When you wake with a yawn._

_Lullaby and good night,_

_You are mother's delight,_

_I'll protect you from harm,_

_And you'll wake in my arms._

_Sleepyhead, close your eyes_

_For I'm right beside you,_

_Guardian angels are near,_

_So sleep without fear._

_Lullaby and good night_

_With roses bedight,_

_Lilies o'er head,_

_Lay thee down in thy bed._

_Lullaby and good night,_

_You are mother's delight,_

_I'll protect you from harm,_

_And you'll wake in my arms._

_Lullaby, and sleep tight,_

_My darlings sleeping,_

_ON sheets white as cream,_

_With a head full of dreams._

_Sleepyhead, close your eyes,_

_I'm right beside you,_

_Lay thee down now and rest,_

_May your slumber be blessed._

_Go to sleep, little one,_

_Think of puppies and kittens,_

_Go to sleep, little one,_

_Think of butterflies in spring._

_Go to sleep, little one,_

_Think of sunny bright morning,_

_Hush, darling one,_

_Sleep through the night,_

_Sleep through the night,_

_Sleep through the night._

By the time I had finished, Walter was asleep, looking peaceful.

"That was beautiful," Wanda whispered.

"As long as it gets him to sleep," I replied. I looked up to see Ian's eyes filled with tears.

"You sound just like her," he said. I couldn't get up because I was still holding Walter's hand, but in that moment, we forgave each other silently, and hugged. Wanda didn't seem to understand our silent communication, but she must have figured it was good, because she smiled.

After a few minutes of stroking Walter's hand and wiping his forehead, I lay back on the cot, still holding Walter's hand, and slept, thinking of puppies, kittens, and my mother.

**So, I hope you liked it. Again, PLEASE REVIEW!!! Like I said, I'll probably review sooner this time, since I'm on break, but no promises. I'd also just like to note that for the lullaby part, I used Jewel's version of it. Here's a link to it in case you want to hear what it sounds like. .com/watch?v=gsFQcQKWgTQ I'm not saying that Lexi sounds exactly like Jewel, but she does have the same kind of sound as Jewel does here.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! This is actually a pretty fast update for me, so enjoy it! This is a pretty interesting chapter, and I was debating what to do in this chapter and the next one for a long time, so that's why I didn't update Chapter Five sooner. As always, please review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Host, I only own Lexi.**

Chapter six

I woke up to a strange, thrumming sound. It sound familiar, but I couldn't put a name to it.

"That's weird," Doc said, "It almost sounds like…" He paused, as the sound faded.

We were still listening hard for the sound, but instead we heard footsteps. These were fast, though, as though someone was running.

Doc jogged out to meet the runner. I could tell Wanda wanted to see who it was, too, but neither of us could move our hands for fear of upsetting Walter.

"Brandt?" Doc said, sounding as surprised as I felt.

"Where is it? _Where is it?_" Brandt demanded breathlessly.

"What are you talking about?" Doc asked.

"The parasite!" Brandt hissed impatiently. I stiffened next to Walter, and I saw Wanda's eyes widen with fear.

Brandt isn't big, like Kyle or Ian, but he's thick and solid. That's why Kyle always wants him on his team when we play soccer. He'll dribble the ball and ram right through you if you don't move.

Doc finally caught up with Brandt, and he gripped Brandt's shoulder to stop him from moving towards Wanda.

"What are you doing?" Doc said. His voice was low and angry. Brandt seemed to calm down a bit at Doc's tone. See, Doc doesn't get angry often, but when he does, you better watch out. He's not big or strong, but he's so persistent that if you fight with him when he's angry, he'll wear you out and then beat you to the ground. He could probably take Kyle if he wanted to, but he was generally a peaceful guy. You had to do a lot to make him angry. And boy, was he angry now.

Brandt was about to reply, when the noise came back. Suddenly I recognized it. _A helicopter_, I thought. But what was a helicopter doing out here?

"Is that – is that a helicopter?" Doc whispered.

"Yes," Brandt replied. "It's the Seeker – the one from before, the one who was looking for _it_." He jerked his chin at Wanda.

"Are you sure?" Doc asked.

"Kyle's got a clear view through the binoculars while it was hovering. Same one he saw before."

"Is it looking _here_?" Doc asked, horrified at the thought. "Where's Sharon?"

Brandt shook his head. "It's just running sweeps. Starts at Picacho, then fans out in spokes. Doesn't look like it's focusing on anything close. Circled around a few times where we dumped the car."

"Sharon?" Doc asked again.

"She's with the kids and Lucina. They're fine. The boys are getting things packed in case we have to roll tonight, but Jeb says it's not likely." I thought for a minute about what that would be like, 'rolling'. Ian, Kyle, and I had only lived here for about six months, but it already felt like home. It was the safest place we'd ever been since the invasion.

Doc exhaled and paced over to his desk. He slouched against it, looking tired. "So it's nothing new, really," he murmured.

"Naw. Just have to lay low for a few days," Brandt said reassuringly. "Do you have anny rope handy?" he asked.

"Rope?" Doc echoed, looking confused.

"For the parasite. Kyle sent me out to secure it." I hissed quietly, but then Walter whimpered and I turned to comfort him. I sang a few bars of the lullaby to him, and that settled him a bit. When I looked up, I saw Wanda looking terrified.

"It'll be okay, promise," I told her. She didn't look reassured.

"You're here to _secure_ Wanda?" Doc said sharply. "And what make you think that's necessary?"

"Come on, Doc. Don't be stupid. You've got some big vents in here, and a lot of reflective metal." Brandt gestured to a file cabinet against the far wall. I gasped when I realized what he was saying. "You let your attention wander for half a minute, and it'll be flashing signals to that Seeker."

Wanda inhaled loudly, and I reached over to grab her free hand with mine.

"See?" Brandt said. "Guessed its plan in one."

I let go of Wanda's hand and turned to face Brandt, still being careful not to bother Walter.

"You can go, Brandt," I said icily. "Doc and I will keep an eye on Wanda."

Brandt raised an eyebrow at me. "What happened to you guys? To you and Ian and Trudy and the rest? It's like you're all hypnotized. If your eyes weren't right, I'd have to wonder…"

"Go ahead and wonder all you want, Brandt," Doc said. "But get out while you're doing it."

Brandt shook his head. "I've got a job to do." I stood up so I could walk over to Brandt, but as soon as I let go of Walter's hand, he cried out for Emma. Doc motioned for me to sit down, and I reluctantly sat and held Walter's hand again. He quieted as soon as I did.

Doc walked toward Brandt and stood between Brandt and Wanda. There, he stopped and folded his arms across his chest.

"You're not going to touch her."

They stood silently as the helicopter passed over again, and then Brandt shook his head, but said nothing. He picked up Doc's chair, slammed it to the ground near the file cabinet, and sat down heard. Then he leaned forward and stared hard at Wanda.

"Gladys, Emma," Walter murmured, coming back into consciousness, "you're here."

"Yes, we're here, dad," I whispered. "We'll always be here." Wanda looked nervous as she patted Walter's hand.

"It hurts, it hurts a lot." He spoke to both of us.

"I know," Wanda whispered. "Doc?"

Doc had already grabbed the brandy and whispered, "Open up, Walter."

The sound of the helicopter returned for a moment while he poured it, and he spilled some on Wanda's arm.

The rest of the day was terrible. We were all anxious, listening every second for the helicopter, Brandt staring unceasingly at Wanda, Doc still pacing back and forth. Ian made it slightly better by dragging another cot beside Wanda's so he could sit in Brandt's line of view. But the worst part of the day came at noon, when Doc ran out of brandy. A few minutes afterwards, Walter was moaning and writhing around. I struggled to hold myself together as his moans turned to screams.

"Sh…Walter, it's okay," I whispered over and over again. When I sang it seemed to help, and he got quieter, but as soon as I stopped for a breath, he would start screaming again.

Brandt started to pace back and forth like Doc had before, trying to pretend this wasn't happening. Doc, on the other hand, had given up pacing and was simply suffering with Walter.

Jamie brought food for Ian, Wanda, Doc, and himself. He didn't bring anything for me, but I wasn't surprised. Wanda tried to share with me, but I told her I wasn't hungry. My lie didn't fool Ian though, and he told me that if I didn't eat, he would force the food down my throat, so I didn't have much of a choice. Jamie laughed at that, and we smiled at each other for a moment, before remembering that we were fighting.

Finally, the day was over, but we didn't dare turn on the light because of the helicopter, even though it had disappeared.

"Makes sense for it to give up," Brandt muttered after a few hours. Nothing to see at night. I'll just take your light with me, Doc, so that Jeb's parasite can't get up to anything, and be on my way."

Doc didn't even look up at him.

"Make it stop, Gladdie, make it stop! Emma, help me! Stop it, please!" Walter cried. Wanda wiped the sweat from his face, and I could see he was crushing her fingers, just like he was mine.

I started to sing to him immediately, and he quieted as usual. At the same time, Wanda whispered quietly to him. We were a good team, and it was only when neither of us were saying anything that he screamed. Unfortunately, these moments of silence were getting more and more frequent, as we both struggled to stay awake.

"Doc," Jared said, "Doc wake up." I hadn't realized he had come in, I had been so busy with Walter. I stopped singing to listen to him, and unfortunately, so did Wanda.

"Gladdie! Emma! Don't leave! Don't!" Walter screeched. This woke Doc up in a second.

Wanda and I turned back to Walter quickly, and soon he was quiet again.

"What's that about?" I heard Jared murmur.

"They're the best painkillers I've been able to find," Doc said, sounding tired.

"Well, I've found you something better than a tame Seeker, and it's even better than Lex, believe it or not."

"You found something!" Doc exclaimed.

"Morphine – there's not much. I would have gotten here sooner if the Seeker hadn't pinned me down out there."

"Jared, you're the miracle man!" Doc said excitedly. I heard him rustling through something that sounded like paper.

"Doc, just a sec…" Jared said, but Doc wasn't listening. He stuck a tiny needle into the crease at Walter's elbow. Within half a minute, Walter relaxed, and his breathing went from harsh to even. He finally released our hands, Wanda's and mine, that is.

There was a deep bruise on my hand, and I tried to get the blood flowing through my hand again. I almost laughed as I watched Wanda doing the same.

"Uh, Doc, there really isn't enough for that," Jared murmured. Doc looked surprised.

"Enough for what? I'm not going to save this for a rainy day, Jared. I'm sure we'll wish we had it again, and too soon, but I'm not going to let Walter scream in agony while I have a way to help him!"

"That's not what I meant," Jared said.

Doc looked confused.

"There's enough to stop the pain for maybe three or four days, that's all," Jared said. "If you give it to him in doses."

I had no idea what Jared meant, but Doc must've.

"Ah," he sighed. He looked at Walter again, and I saw his eyes filled with tears.

"You can't save him. You can only save him pain, Doc."

"I know," Doc said, his voice breaking. "You're right."

Suddenly I got it. The wave of emotion that overwhelmed me was so intense that I cried out quietly. Jared turned to look at me. His face was sympathetic, and he came over to me and hugged me gently for a moment.

I knew Wanda got it too, because she gasped.

"Wanda?" Doc asked.

She just shook her head.

"I think you've been here too long," he said. "You should take a break." He put his hand on her shoulder. "You too, Lex."

"In a minute," I said, turning back to Walter.

Wanda shook her head again.

"You're worn out," Doc said. "Go clean up, stretch your legs. Eat something."

Wanda glared up at him. "Will Walter be here when I get back?" she mumbled.

"Do you want that?" Doc said, looking anxious.

"I'd like a chance to say goodbye. He's my friend."

Doc patted her arm. "I know, Wanda, I know. Me, too. I'm in no hurry. You get some air and then come back. Walter will be sleeping for a while."

Wanda nodded cautiously, and hurried down the corridor.

"You should go, too," Doc told me. "He'll still be here when you get back." I said nothing, so he continued. "He loved you like a daughter, you know. After Emma died too… you were one of the closest people to him."

I nodded, still trying to hold back my tears.

"But he would want you to go now, and come back in a minute. So you wouldn't be crying when you said goodbye. He wouldn't like that, you know he wouldn't."

"Alright," I said finally. Doc was right; the last thing Walter would want was people crying at his funeral. He had always said that he hated it when people cried for the dead. He told me once that he thought it was ridiculous, because surely, the person they were crying for was going to be much better off than they were before. So why cry for them?

Still, it was hard to make myself get up from my cot. I kissed Walter gently on the forehead, whispered, "I'll be back Walter," and left.

As I walked to our makeshift bathroom, I heard loud splashes. I stopped to listen, curious. Then I heard a groan of pain, and finally, a scream. The scream was a female's, and it was the most ear-splitting scream I had ever heard. After a moment, I recognized the voice of the screamer. _Wanda_, I thought, suddenly filled with dread. I ran into the dark cave.

"Wanda?" I called. "Wanda?" I searched desperately for her, but I couldn't see anything.

"Lex?" The voice confirmed my worst fears. It was Kyle. "Get out of here Lex." Kyle demanded.

"No! Don't hurt her! Please, Kyle, for me. For me!" I said desperately as I hurried toward the voice.

_"Stay away from it!"_ Kyle bellowed. I felt something hard hit my chest, and I flew backwards. Then I hit something hard. I felt a jolt of pain through my body, and I crumpled to the ground. In the distance, I heard Wanda screaming.

"No, no! Lexi!" she shouted. The voice sounded so far away, as if I were dreaming it.

"Lexi?" I heard Kyle yell. He sounded remorseful for a moment, but then he roared, "_You! This is your fault!_" I knew from the tone of his voice that he was talking to Wanda. I wanted to yell at him, to tell him it was his own fault, not Wanda's, and to stop blaming other people for his mistakes. But I couldn't find my voice.

All I could feel now was pain. Dimly, I could feel something wet on my head. I tried to reach up with my hand to feel what was there, but as soon as I lifted my hand, another wave of pain washed over me.

I'm not sure how long I sat there, trying to figure out what was happening, and failing. Finally, I fell over, my limbs were so weak. My head hit the floor hard, and I struggled not to scream in pain. The effort must have taken more out of me than I thought, because as soon as I swallowed my scream, I felt exhausted. Then, all of a sudden, everything went black.

**Sorry if this wasn't a very good chapter. I've never done an action scene before, so hopefully it turned out okay. If you have any ideas for the next chapter, please tell me. I'm sure I could use some constructive criticism.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry, this one's really short. But I wanted to give you guys something to read, and if I kept going, the chapter would be way too long. I already know what I'm going to write for the next chapter, so I'll update sooner, I swear on the river of Styx! Sorry to you people who don't understand that, but if you don't, then read Percy Jackson and the Olympians as soon as you finish this. That's an order.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Host, I only own Lexi. (Bla bla bla... Let's get to the good stuff!!!)**

Chapter seven

I drifted in and out of consciousness for a long time. For a while, I thought I was dead, but I realized that if I was, then I would be…somewhere else. I didn't know where I would be, but I wouldn't be here. And I wouldn't be in so much pain either, would I? I didn't believe in God, or any higher powers, but this couldn't be it, could it? So, what, for the rest of eternity I was supposed to lie here, writhing in pain? That couldn't be right.

The frustrating part was that I had no idea _what_ was hurting. The pain was everywhere. In my back, in my feet, in my head, everywhere. So I had no idea what was causing the pain, either. Sometimes it was just a dull pain, but most of the time, it was a powerful, burning sensation. I think I screamed a few times, but I wasn't sure. It felt as though I was stuck in my head. I could only hear my own thoughts, nothing else.

Every now and then I would hear voices. I didn't always recognize them, but they were still voices, and I was grateful for them when they came. Once, I heard Kyle, saying, "It didn't fall!" I had no idea what he was talking about, but it comforted me at first to know he was still alive. But then it disgusted me, when I remembered _how _I had gotten hurt.

When I wasn't conscious, I dreamed. Most of my dreams were about Ian and Wanda and Walter. And Jamie. I had lots of dreams about him. At this point, I had given up trying to be mad at him; since I wasn't even sure I was alive anymore. I wished I could see him, just for a moment, to tell him I was sorry. Now that I thought about it, Ian was probably right. I _had_ started the fight. I would give anything to be able to end it now, although I was afraid it was too late.

After what Ian later told me was only a few hours, although it felt much longer, I was able to open my eyes. I had to struggle for a few minutes, but I did it. I opened my eyes to find myself in the south wing, the hospital.

"She's coming around!" I heard Doc say. "Lexi? Lex? Can you hear me?" he said.

"Yes…" I said slowly. "What happened?" I felt dazed, and my memories were foggy. I remembered singing to Walter, and Wanda…Wanda screaming, and Kyle…What was Kyle doing? Then my memories came back in flashes and I watched in horror as I felt the pain, heard Wanda's cry, and Kyle's too. And then, the darkness, the uncertainty, that had lasted for so long.

"Lex, I'll explain everything later, I promise" Doc said. "But right now, we have to go."

"Go? Where?" My voice sounded strange and unfamiliar.

"To…to Walter's funeral." It took me a moment to process this. Walter's _funeral_? But…he wasn't…he couldn't be…Doc had promised… I was so bewildered I couldn't even finish my thoughts.

"But…You said…" I trailed off, trying to make sense of this.

"I know, Lex, and I tried, but you were out so long, and he was in pain…I had to. Please, Lex, try to understand."

"You promised though!" I whispered. "You said you would wait! You said I could say goodbye!" I felt tears running down my cheeks.

"Lex, I…"

I took a deep breath. I will not lose control, I will not lose control…I repeated the sentence over and over.

"Doc, we can discuss this later," I said finally. "Right now, I need to get to Walter's funeral." I tried to sound calm, but my voice was strained.

"Lex, be careful, you're not…" He began, but I didn't listen. I was already trying to get up. I swung my legs over the cot and placed them on the floor. That was easy enough, but when I tried to stand, I was consumed with pain, and I fell to my knees. I stayed there for a moment, gasping in pain.

"I told you," Doc said. He picked me up gently and carried me through the halls. I noticed that I was no longer wearing my rolled up jeans and plain t-shirt, although they were probably both stained with blood now. Instead, I wore a black sundress that went down to my knees, with a ribbon around the waist and thin silk straps. My feet were still barefoot, but my hair had been taken out of my usual ponytail and brushed. I was furious.

"Who put me in a dress?" I demanded.

"Don't blame me," Doc said, looking amused. "It was Lily, Trudy, and Paige. They wanted you to look decent for Walter."

"He wouldn't have cared," I grumbled. But we were already outside. I saw the stars twinkling brightly, and the dark hole where Walter lay.

"There was no hatred in your heart," Wanda was whispering. "That you existed is proof we were wrong. We had no right to take your world from you, Walter. I hope your fairy tales are true. I hope you find your Gladdie."

She sprinkled the sand on his grave, and Doc stepped up with me, still in his arms.

"Put me down please, Doc," I whispered. He set me down gently, and I leaned on him as he scooped up some sand for me and placed it in my hand. I felt everyone's eyes on me.

"Walter…" I began, unsure of what to say. "Walter was one of the bravest people I've ever known. He wasn't afraid to die, as long as he had lived a good life. He was family to me, and he always knew how to make me smile. He was an important part of our family, and I hope… I hope that one day I'll be able to meet Gladdie and Emma. I hope you never forget us, Walter, because we'll never forget you." My voice broke at the end, and as I poured the sand over Walter's grave, I felt the tears running down my cheeks.

I wasn't really paying attention to Doc, so I didn't hear what he said, but I could tell just by the look on his face how sorry he was. Doc was one of the most compassionate people I knew, and I realized that Walter's death had almost killed him. He felt like he should be able to save everyone, but he was wrong. There was nothing he could have done. We stepped back, Doc half carrying me, and Andy started to shovel the sand onto Walter's grave.

Suddenly Doc whispered to me, "You should sing for him."

"What should I sing?" I asked.

Doc shrugged. Then I remembered that Walter had said once that his wife, Gladdie, had been a singer too.

_"Her favourite song was 'Amazing Grace'. She used to sing it all the time."_

I felt nervous, singing before everyone, but I reminded myself that, really, it was only for Walter. So I took a deep breath and started to sing. After the first verse, I didn't even realize I was singing. I was just thinking about Walter, and Gladdie and Emma. I saw Lily crying, with Wes comforting her, and Trudy and Geoffrey standing together, and Jamie and Jared and Wanda. _We really are one big family_, I thought as I watched everyone. _Sure, we hate each other sometimes, but we need each other more than anyone realizes._

As I finished, Andy put the last shovel of sand on the grave. We were silent for a moment, and then everyone headed inside. Trudy, Geoffrey, Lily, Wes, and Paige, with Andy standing slightly behind her, came to talk to me afterwards. I decided I would be mad at Lily, Trudy and Paige later, but for now we just talked quietly, heading into the caves. Doc handed me off to Lily and Wes, and I saw him go over to Wanda.

Once we got inside, I started to go towards my room, but Wes stopped me.

"Oh, no you don't," he said.

"What do you mean?" I said wearily.

"Do you have any idea how hurt you are? It's amazing you don't have to be carried!" Trudy said.

"Your back's not quite broken, but it's pretty close, you lost a lot of blood from your head, you broke your left foot, and to top it off, you have at least seven cuts on your face, and a bunch of bruises on the rest of your body." Lily listed them all off, and I flinched.

"I didn't realize how bad it was," I whispered.

"Obviously not," Paige said. "Now come on, we're taking you to the south wing."

We walked in silence the rest of the way. Andy left us after a while, Paige promising him she'd be with him as soon as I was settled.

It took Wes, Lily, and Trudy to get me onto the cot again. I couldn't move my foot easily, and I was starting to feel dizzy, probably from all the blood loss. So they had to lift me up and put me gently down on the cot.

Paige, Trudy, and Geoffrey left after making sure I was all right, but Wes and Lily stayed with me. They took the two cots on my right, and talked to me until I was tired.

"We'll have to wake you up early, so you should sleep now," Wes said finally.

"Why will you have to wake me up early?" I asked.

"Tribunal at first light," Lily said.

"About?" I asked, confused.

"About what happened with Kyle," Lily answered.

"Oh." I hadn't thought about what would happen to Kyle.

"What will Jeb do with Kyle?" I asked.

"I don't know, Lex. Might not be able to do anything, if Wanda keeps this up," Wes said. I was about to ask him what 'this' was, when he spoke again. "She's saying the floor just collapsed, and Kyle didn't do anything."

"Why would she do that?" It didn't make any sense to me. Kyle had tried to kill her, and now she was trying to protect him?

"I don't know," Lily said. "But you'd better get some sleep. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow."

I nodded, and closed my eyes. After a few moments, I was asleep.

**Well, I hope you liked it, even if it was really short. Please review! Also, I tried to find a dress like the one Lexi's wearing, but I couldn't find one. So if you happen to see one online, please send me the link! I'll keep looking, and if I find "Lexi's dress" I'll post the link on my profile. Thanks again, Serafina Silvertongue.**


	8. Chapter 8

**See? I told you I'd update soon! Well, here you go...Chapter 8.**

**Disclaimer: Oh, nevermind, you know already...**

Chapter eight

"Lex, wake up. It's time," Wes whispered a few hours later. I groaned quietly, but allowed him to pick me up. I slumped in his arms, still tired and sore from last night. Lily was already up, but other than her, the hospital was empty.

"Doc already went with Sharon and Maggie," Lily said when she saw me looking around.

Wes carried me to the rec room, where tribunal was being held, and Lily walked beside us.

"You know, Lex," Wes said, "Jamie was really upset when he heard you got hurt. He was so scared you were gonna die. He told me he would never forgive himself if you died and he never got a chance to apologize."

"Yeah, Lex," Lily added. "I thought he was going to kill Kyle when he found out what happened. He stayed by your side for as long as he could, but he left when you started to wake up. He didn't want you to get mad at him, so he thought it would better if he apologized a little later, once you recovered."

I felt my cheeks burning red as they spoke. Jamie had been worried? He was going to apologize? It wasn't even his fault, and even if it was, the Jamie I knew was stubborn, it would take him longer than a couple of months to apologize. And yet here he was, doing everything he could for me, and then leaving because he didn't want to make me mad. I felt the guilt creeping up on me, and then I was consumed with it. Why had I been so stupid? I was just like Kyle, with my horrible temper.

Lily interrupted my thoughts. "Don't get all mad at yourself, Lex. There's nothing you can do to change the past. But you should talk to him."

"Why would he want to see _me_, after all I've done to him?" I felt disgusted with myself.

"I have no idea, Lex. Maybe because you're his _best friend_?" Wes said sarcastically.

I opened my mouth to argue, but I stopped, because we had arrived.

Most of the others were there, and ones who were missing showed up a few minutes after us. Wes set me down carefully next to Wanda before sitting down in between me and Lily. Wanda didn't look like she'd had a very good sleep either, from the circles under her eyes.

I saw Jamie standing next to Jared, who seemed to be making sure Kyle didn't get into any trouble. Kyle was sitting in a bright spot of light with his arms wrapped around his legs. He looked up when we came in and he looked like he was going to jump up and hug me, but Jared stopped him with a cold glare.

Jamie's eyes lit up when he saw me, and I felt a jolt of happiness flow through me. I smiled at him, and he grinned back. He tried to walk towards me, but Jeb grabbed his wrist and whispered something to him. _Later_, Jamie mouthed. I nodded, and turned my attention to Aaron, who had just entered the room.

Aaron quickly announced that neither Lucina nor either of her children were coming.

"She doesn't want them here – she said to go on without her," he said. There was a tense silence for a moment before Jeb broke it.

"Okay, then," Jeb said loudly. "Here's how it's gonna work. Straight-up majority vote. As usual, I'll make my own decision if I have a problem with the majority, 'cause this – "

"Is my house," a few of us said in unison. I heard someone laugh, but they stopped abruptly.

"Who's speaking against Kyle?" Jeb asked.

I saw Ian start to stand, and Wanda started to pull him down again. Ian ignored her and stood.

"This is simple enough," he began. "My brother was warned. He was not in any doubt about Jeb's ruling on this. Wanda is one of our community – the same rules and protections apply to her as to any of us. Jeb told Kyle point-blank that if he couldn't live with her here, he should move on. Kyle decided to stay. He knew then and he knows now the penalty for murder in this place."

"It's still alive," Kyle grunted.

"Which is why I'm not asking for your death," Ian snapped. "But you can't live here anymore. Not if you're a murderer at heart." He paused for a moment. "And, if that's not enough for some of you, just look at Lex. She almost _died_, because of what her _brother_ did to her while she was trying to defend Wanda. Even if you don't care about Wanda, you have to admit that Lex is like a little sister to all of us. She's part of our family, and she should not have been hurt like this, especially not by her own _brother_." He glared at Kyle for a few more seconds, and then sat down.

"But he could get caught, and we'd have no idea," Brandt argued, standing. "He'll lead them back here, and we'd have no warning."

There were whispers at that, and Kyle glared at Brandt.

"They'll never get me alive."

"Then it's a death sentence after all," Geoffrey muttered. At the same time, Andy said, "You can't guarantee that."

"One at a time," Jeb said.

"I've survived on the outside before," Kyle said angrily.

"It's a risk," Violetta said quietly.

"What did Kyle do wrong? Nothing," another voice said. I couldn't recognize this one, it was too low.

Jeb stepped forward. "My rules."

"She's not one of us," someone said.

"But Lexi is," I heard Heidi say.

Ian started to get to his feet.

"Hey!" Jared yelled. "Wanda's not on trial here! Does someone have a concrete complaint against her – against Wanda herself? Then ask for another tribunal. But we all know she hasn't harmed anyone here. In fact, she saved his life. He stabbed his finger in Kyle's direction. Kyle flinched, as if Jared had hit him. "Just seconds after he tried to throw her into the river, and knocked his own sister unconscious, she risked her life to keep him from the same painful death. She had to know that if she let him fall she would be safer here. She saved him anyway. Would any of you have done the same – rescue your enemy? He tried to kill her, and yet will she even speak against him?"

Everyone turned to look at Wanda.

"_Will _you speak against him, Wanda?" Jared asked.

She looked stunned for some reason, and it took her a moment to find her voice.

"This is all a misunderstanding," Wanda whispered. "We both fell when the floor caved in. Nothing else happened." Ian chuckled.

"You see. She even tries to lie in his defence," Jared said, smiling slightly.

"_Tries_ being the operative word," Ian said.

"Who says it's lying? Who can prove that?" Maggie asked, stepping beside Kyle. "Who can prove that it's not the truth that sounds so false on its lips?"

"Mag – " Jeb started.

"Shut up, Jebediah – I'm speaking. There is no reason for us to be here. No human as attacked. The insidious trespasser offers no complaint. This is a waste of all our time."

"I second that," Sharon said. I saw Doc give her a pained look.

"What about Lex?" Jamie said suddenly. "Are you saying she's not _human_?"

"She tried to defend it, it was her own fault. Obviously, Kyle didn't mean to hurt her," Maggie said.

"Do you second that, too Sharon?" Jamie asked, glaring at her.

Sharon hesitated.

"Why don't we ask Lexi?" Jared suggested. "What really happened, Lex?"

I looked at Wanda. "Is this what you want?" I whispered.

"Yes, please. He's your brother. He deserves to stay," she said quietly.

I sighed. "Alright." Then I raised my voice. "Help me get up, will you, Wes?"

He obediently helped me to my feet. I cleared my throat. "Wanda is telling the truth. The floor fell out from underneath us, and Kyle got knocked out. He…fell on me and that's how I got so hurt. Wanda had to try and pull him off me, and he slipped and almost fell into the crack. She got hurt while she was trying to hold him, and she fell earlier, when the floor cracked for the first time. That's all that happened. Kyle didn't do a thing." I sat down again, with Wes' help.

Kyle stared at me in shock, but I ignored him. Jared raised his eyebrows at me.

"That's what happened?" He asked doubtfully.

"Yes, that's what happened," I said. "At least according to Wanda," I muttered.

Trudy stood up. "Listen, we all know she's lying for Wanda, and I have no idea why _she's_ lying. But the point is, we can't house a murderer – and just wait around for him to be successful!"

I shuddered. I had thought of Kyle as many things, an idiot, a jerk, even a…well you can see where I'm going with this. But never _murderer_. He was anything but that. And no matter what he had done, I couldn't see him as one, even now. I thought back to when I had found Herbert, and how nice Kyle had been. How could he be the same person he was then as he was now? They were so different. Kyle used to be gentle and kind, but the invasion had changed him, hardened him.

Meanwhile, Maggie was hissing something at Trudy. I only heard the last few words. They were "when something human is killed." I tried to get to my feet, but I fell from the pain that surged through me. I let out a small cry, and everyone turned to me, their eyes wide. I saw pain in Kyle's eyes, and I wondered if perhaps he hadn't completely changed. He still cared about his little sister, even if he had almost killed her.

"I thought the definition embraced _some_ compassion, some little bit of mercy," Jeb was saying when I remembered that I should be listening.

"Let's vote," Sharon said, interrupting Maggie. "Raise your hand if you think Kyle should be allowed to stay here, with no penalty for the…misunderstanding."

I looked at Wanda and she nodded to me as she struggled to raise her hand against Ian's will. I raised my hand. Neither Wes nor Lily did, but it didn't matter.

"Ten…fifteen…twenty…twenty-three," Jeb counted. "Okay, that's a clear majority."

Jamie walked towards us and hugged Wanda.

"Maybe your souls were right about us," he said loudly, "The majority are no better than –"

"Hush!" Wanda interrupted him.

"Okay," Jeb said from the front. "Okay, I'm inclined to go with the majority on this."

"Jeb – " Jared and Ian protested together.

"My house, my rules," Jeb said. "Never forget that. So you listen to me, Kyle. And you'd better listen, too, I think, Magnolia. Anyone who tries to hurt Wanda again will not get a tribunal, they will get a burial." He hit the butt of the gun and Wanda flinched.

"Tribunal's over," Jeb announced. "Who's up for a game?" Everyone seemed to relax.

"Jeb's just trying to get things back to normal," Jamie said in response to Wanda's questioning look. "It's been a bad couple of days. Burying Walter…"

"Go talk to him!" Trudy said.

"Now?" I asked.

"Yes, now!" Lily said. Then she and Trudy pushed me lightly towards Jamie. I stumbled and almost fell on him, but he caught me.

"Sorry," I said, blushing furiously," Jamie, can I, uh, talk to you for a second?" I suddenly felt nervous.

"Sure," he said. I leaned on him as we walked into the corridor.

"Jamie, it was my fault," I blurted, staring fixedly at the ground. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have been so stupid and I shouldn't have blamed you and – "

"Lex, it was my fault too," Jamie said. "I should've known better than to snap at you. I just…Lex, when you got hurt, I thought…Well, I thought you were going to die, and I…I couldn't stand that, Lex. Not when I was still fighting with you." I looked up and saw that his eyes were wide and sad.

"I…I missed you, Jamie. I hate to admit it," I said, laughing a little, "but I missed you a lot. I just felt…So alone, like I was missing a piece of me, or something."

"I missed you too Lex," Jamie said. Then he hugged me as tightly as he could without breaking my ribs. I leaned into him and put my arms around him. Suddenly I felt tears, but they weren't mine.

"Don't you ever leave me, Lex," he said hoarsely. I hugged him tighter, and we stayed like that for a while. Then, of course, Wes had to walk in and ruin the moment.

"Hey, uh, sorry to bother you guys, but, uh, we're starting the game, so…" His face was scarlet, and he looked uncomfortably at his shoes.

"Oh, cool," Jamie said, returning to his usual self. "Let's go, Lex."

"Hey, Lex, by the way, you don't look too bad in a dress," Jamie said casually to me as we headed back into the rec room.

"Ugh," I said. "It was Lily, Trudy, and Paige. That reminds me, I still have to kill them for that. Looks like we'll be having another tribunal soon."

Jamie chuckled. "I'll have to thank them later."

I looked at him, puzzled, but he was already setting me down next to Wanda, since I couldn't play. Then he headed over to the others, where Andy and Lily were picking teams. I laughed with Wanda as Jamie stood on his toes, trying to look taller. Lily winked at me when she picked him before half the adults were taken, and I grinned at the look on Jamie's face. He was so happy, it amazed me.

The game wasn't very close, and Andy's team won by at least three points. But it was fun to watch anyways, and it was a good way to ease the tension.

After about a half hour, Trudy and Paige went to go get some food. They came back with granola bars and water, and Jeb promptly called halftime.

"Here you go, Lex, Wanda," Jamie said, coming to join us.

"Thanks," we said in unison.

"Having fun?" Wanda asked.

"Yeah! Wish you two could play. You should see Lex, she's _awesome_."

"Next time," Wanda replied.

"Here you go…" Ian said as he came towards us, his hands full of granola bars.

"Beat ya," Jamie said.

"Oh," Jared said as he came to Jamie's side.

Ian and Jared exchanged a long glanced and I raised my eyebrows at Jamie, who shrugged.

"Where's all the food?" Kyle demanded.

I laughed, and Jared threw Kyle a couple bars.

"Here," Ian said, handing him half of his haul. "Now go." I was surprised by his cold tone. He didn't usually hold a grudge; that was my job, or Kyle's.

Kyle ignored him, though, and stared at Wanda.

"You heard him," Jared said.

"Can I say something first?" Kyle asked.

"I'm not sorry," Kyle told her. "I'm sorry about hurting you, Lex," He said, looking at me," but not it. I still think it was the right thing to do."

Ian shoved him and Kyle stumbled back a few paces before stepping forward again.

"Hold on, I'm not done."

"Yeah, you are," Jared said firmly.

I noticed the room had gone quiet, and everyone's eyes were on us.

"No, I'm not." Kyle said, holding up his hands. "I don't think I was wrong, but you did save my life. I don't know why, but you did. So I figure, a life for a life. I won't kill you. I'll pay the debt that way."

"You stupid jackass," Ian said.

"Who's got a crush on a worm, bro? You gonna call _me_ stupid?"

Ian lifted his fists.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, how about this? You're _both_ stupid. Okay? There, it's settled. Now go eat, or whatever Kyle, and leave us alone."

They turned and grinned at me.

"Whatever you say, sis," Kyle said. He started to walk away, but Wanda stopped him.

"I'll tell you why," She called. "I didn't let you fall because…because I'm not _like_ you. I'm not saying that I'm not…like humans. Because there are others here who would do the same. There are kind and good people here. People like your brother and sister, and Jeb, and Doc…I'm saying that I'm not like you _personally_."

Kyle stared at her, and then laughed. "Ouch," he said. "Life for a life," He called over his shoulder as he walked away. I couldn't help but wonder if he was lying. I mean, Kyle didn't usually just…give up. He held grudges like nobody else. Once, he didn't speak to Ian for three months, just because Ian broke a LEGO tower he had built. So why he would give up now, I had no idea.

They played a few more games, and then finally Jeb called it a night. Kyle raised his hand for a high five to Ian, since they had been playing on the same team. Ian ignored him though, and stalked past him. Kyle put his hand on Ian's shoulder and spun him around. Ian knocked his hand away, and I suddenly knew what was coming next. Wanda tensed beside me, but I reassured her, saying "Don't worry, they're just fooling around."

"Good game, bro," Kyle said. "You've still got it."

"You're such an idiot, Kyle," Ian replied.

"You got the brains; I got the looks, seems fair."

"And I got both," I called. They both laughed, and started to fight playfully again.

Jamie helped me back to my room, and we talked as we went along. Jamie told me Jared had gotten some new books on the raid, and we talked eagerly about them. Jamie had already started one; it was _Gone with the Wind_. He didn't like it as much as some of the other books he'd read, but it was still good. He put me gently on my mattress, and then sat down on the floor next to me for a while.

We talked for a long time, and didn't notice that Jamie was running his fingers through my hair while we talked until Kyle walked in and started staring at Jamie's hand. Jamie leapt up, his face red. I was sure mine was too.

"Uh, sorry… I'd better go, Lex. I didn't realize how late it was." Then he bolted out of the room.

Kyle chuckled.

"Well, well, my little sister finally has a boyfriend. It's about time," Kyle said.

I scowled at him. "Jamie's not my boyfriend idiot. He's my _friend_. We're _just friends_."

"Sure, sure," Kyle said. "Listen, Lex," he said more seriously. "I'm really sorry, honest. I just…"

"Lost control? Blew up? Acted like an idiot?"

"Yeah, pretty much," He said, smiling.

"Whatever," I said. "It's not like you can help it. You're just naturally an idiot."

"You're lucky you're hurt, kid, or I'd be – "

"Beating me up?"

"Yup. Well, better get some sleep. Ian's staying with the pa – I mean, with _Wanda_.' Night."

"'Night," I replied. Then I sighed. I loved my family.

**Ta-da! Thanks to everybody who's reviewed so far, and please keep doing so if you have any comments. Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey! Sorry this took so long, but here it is. As always, I don't own the Host, I only own Lexi. Enjoy!**

Chapter nine

The next few weeks passed in a blur. I was utterly content. I had Jamie, Ian and Kyle were speaking again, Kyle was trying not to be so much of an idiot, and Wanda wasn't being as self-sacrificing as usual. Jamie was happy too, and that, well that made me even happier.

Mel seemed to be doing alright too. It was strange; I hadn't really thought about Mel much. It had always been Wanda I had thought of, I guess because I hadn't known Mel. _That must be horrible_, I thought, _being stuck in your body, but not being able to do anything._ I supposed at least she was still present. I couldn't bear to think of how Jamie would react if Mel disappeared.

Jamie had accepted Mel and Wanda as two different people, and I followed his example. When we talked to Wanda, we talked to Mel too. Sometimes I would ask her questions about her home, and about Jamie, when he wasn't there. Other times, I would just ask her about what it was like.

"It's hard, and complicated," Wanda told me once. "It's like she's trapped."

"At least you're not _trying_ to imprison her," I had replied. "Does she…Is she mad at you for taking her body?"

"Not anymore," Wanda had said slowly. I guessed that she was listening to Mel's answer. "She says she used to be mad, but now she realizes there's nothing I can do, and that I'm doing my best."

I didn't see Ian much these days. He was almost always with Wanda. Kyle told me it was because he was in love with Wanda, but I didn't believe him. Sure, he liked Wanda. But love? I just couldn't see it happening. I had no idea how wrong I was.

It all started when I overheard Ian and Jared talking. I was on my way to my room when I heard them in Jared and Jamie's room, and I couldn't help stopping.

"I told you before, keep your hands off her, O'Shea," Jared said angrily. "Mel's there too remember? And she's _mine_."

"What about Wanda? Isn't she a person too?" Ian protested.

"But it's _Mel_'s body."

"So, what? Wanda's just supposed to suffer so _Mel_ doesn't get her feelings hurt?"

"Look O'Shea, I didn't say anything when I found out you were in love with the parasite – " Ian hissed at the word, but Jared continued, "in Mel's body. But as long as she's in Mel's body, you will _not_ touch her. Understand?"

They kept arguing, but I had heard enough. I walked quietly to my room and sat down on the bed.

_How could he be in love with her?_ I wasn't saying Wanda wasn't great, but…She was still a different species. How would it ever work while she was in Mel's body? I would have hated to be Mel. _Or Wanda_, I reminded myself. I couldn't even begin to think how hard it must be for her. On the one hand, she loved Jared because of Mel's memories, but on the other, she loved, or at least liked Ian a lot because of how nice he had been to her, and just because of who he was. _It must be so confusing_, I thought.

I didn't get a chance to talk to Jamie, because the next day, Jared announced that we needed more food, so they were going on a quick raid. That would've been fine with me, except for the fact that Jared took Jamie, and Kyle refused to let me go.

"But if Jamie gets to, I should too! I'm just as strong and fast as he is!" I complained to Kyle.

"I don't want you getting hurt, Lex," Kyle replied firmly. "You're not going."

"But it's not fair!"

"I don't care, Lex. You are _not _going. That's final."

And, sadly that was final. I argued with him every second I could, but he wouldn't listen. Jamie was sad that I couldn't come, but he was too excited to go on the raid to give it up, even for me. Then one morning, I woke up and they were gone. Ian hadn't gone with them, I guess because he wanted to stay with Wanda.

I was washing dishes with Ian one day; it was one of the rare occasions when Wanda wasn't with him. We were talking about the raid and how long we thought it would last. Everything was normal and I was just enjoying some time with my brother.

And then I had to open my mouth and blurt out," Are you in love with Wanda? Because I heard you and Jared talking and he said you were and Kyle said you were and…Are you?" The words were pouring out of my mouth, and at first I thought there was no way he could've understood me. But of course, with my luck, he did. He stared at me, surprised for a moment.

Then he replied, "Yes, Lex. It's true. I can't explain it really, but I love Wanda."

I was quiet for a moment, watching Ian.

"Well, it took you long enough to find a girlfriend," I said finally. Ian grinned.

"Hey, you can't say anything either," Ian said. "It took you until the end of humanity to find a boyfriend. You're just as bad."

"For the last time, Jamie's _not_ my boyfriend!" I exclaimed.

"But you wish he was," Ian said.

I splashed him, and he gasped. Soon it was an all out war, and after only a few minutes we were soaking wet. After a while we quieted.

"I guess it can't be too bad," I said. "I mean, Wanda's awesome, and everything. I was just wondering…How's it gonna work out with – "

"Mel?" Ian said, interrupting me. Then he sighed. "I don't know Lex. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"Does Wanda know?" I asked.

"Yes…She overheard me talking to Jared."

"How does she feel about…everything?"

"She…She doesn't really know what to think. It's…hard for her, with Mel there too."

I nodded. "It must be terrible for both of them."

Ian was about to reply when Jeb walked in.

"Gol'durn it, aren't you two done yet? And why are you so wet?"

We exchanged a glance, and I laughed.

"It's sort of a long story, Jeb," Ian said.

"Well, c'mon then. We need more plates in the kitchen."

We followed him obediently, and that was the end of our conversation. We didn't talk about it much after that. We were just too busy. I had healed pretty well by now, or at least enough that I could walk, so I had chores to do, and of course classes with Sharon.

When I wasn't in class or doing chores, I was with Wanda and Ian, and I did a lot of my chores with them.

As I was making breakfast one morning, Wes passed by me and said, "Hey Lex! Lily, Paige, Ian, Wanda and I are playing soccer after lunch. You want to play?"

I nodded enthusiastically. It had been months since I had played soccer because of my ankle. I couldn't wait to run again.

I headed over after lunch, and met up with Ian and Wanda in the eastern tunnel. They greeted me, and we walked towards the room together. Apparently, Wanda hadn't known she was playing soccer, because as soon as she heard the ball, she said, "Ian, I'm not in the mood."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise at Ian, but he just smiled at me.

"You said you had plenty of energy," He replied to Wanda.

"To work. Not to play soccer."

"But Lily, Wes, and Paige will be really disappointed," I said.

"Not you too," Wanda muttered.

"Yeah, Wanda," Ian said. "I promised them to a game of three-on-three. They worked so hard this morning to free up the afternoon…"

"Don't try to make me feel guilty," She said as we turned a corner.

"Isn't it working?" Ian teased her.

"C'mon Wanda," I pleaded. "It will be good for you."

Ian pulled her into the rec room, and I followed. Lily, Wes, and Paige were already there, passing the ball back and forth.

"Hey, Wanda. Hey, Ian. Hey, Lex," Lily called.

"This one's mine O'Shea. S," He added on the 's' at the last minute. I grinned.

"We'll see, Wes. We'll see," I said ominously.

"You're not going to let us lose to Wes, are you?" Ian murmured to Wanda.

"You could beat them without me," She said.

"It would be a forfeit," I said. "We'd never live it down."

Finally, she sighed. "Fine. _Fine_. Be that way."

Ian hugged her. "You're my very favourite person in the known universe. No offense, Lex," He said to me.

"Thanks," Wanda said dryly to Ian.

I shrugged. "None taken."

"Ready to be humiliated, Wanda?" Wes taunted. "You may have taken the planet, but you're losing this game."

I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"Do you know the rules?" Paige asked Wanda.

She nodded. "I remember them."

"I'll take the goal," Ian told us, while Lily and Paige fell back, Wes pacing beside the ball. I grinned at Wanda, and the game began.

When I play, I play all by instinct. I have no idea what I was thinking about on the field that day, but what I do remember is this. First of all, it was lots of fun. Second of all, and most importantly, we won with twenty-one points.

We played well together, and I had good chemistry with Wanda. On one play, she passed me the ball and I passed it ahead of her. She swung her leg back and kicked it straight into the net.

Wes wanted another round, but Lily and Paige were done.

"Face it, they're better," Lily said.

"We got hustled," he replied.

"No one ever said she couldn't play," Paige pointed out.

"No one ever said she was a pro either," Wes said.

Wanda smiled, and I nudged her slightly.

"Don't be a sore loser," Lily said, reaching out to tickle Wes's stomach. Wes caught her fingers and pulled her close to him. She laughed and pulled away, but Wes pulled her towards him again and kissed her.

Wanda, Ian, and I exchanged a surprised glance. Then I whistled.

"Jeez, you guys. Get a room," I said.

Wes broke away and punched me playfully. Then he said to Lily, "For you, I will lose with grace," and let her go.

Lily's cheeks were pink, and I grinned at her.

"And now," Wes continued. "I'm off to get reinforcements. We'll see how your little ringer does against Kyle, Ian." He kicked the ball into the far corner of the cave, and there was a splash as it bounced into the spring.

Ian went to get it.

Lily laughed at Wanda's curious expression, "I know, I know," she said.

"How long has _that_ been going on?" I asked.

She grimaced.

"Not our business. Sorry," Wanda said.

"It's okay. It's not really a secret – how could anything be a secret here, anyway? It's just really…new to me. It's sort of your fault, Wanda," she added, smiling.

"What did I do?" Wanda asked confusedly.

"Nothing," Lily said. "It was Wes's…reaction to you that surprised me. I didn't know he had so much depth to him. I was never really aware of him before that. Oh, well. He's too young for me, but what does that matter here?" She laughed again. "It's strange how life and love go on. I didn't expect that."

I hadn't really thought about it before, but now I realized that Lily and Wes hadn't really associated much before Wanda came. I just hadn't noticed it because of all the other things that happened because of Wanda.

"Yeah. Kind of funny how that happens," Ian agreed. I didn't hear him come back, but there he was, his arm around Wanda's shoulder. We exchanged a glance, and Ian's cheeks turned red. Lily looked at me curiously, but I shook my head.

"It's nice though," I said. "You do know Wes has been infatuated with you since he first got here, right?"

"So he says. I hadn't noticed."

Ian and I laughed. "Then you're the only one," Ian said. "So, Wanda, how about some one-on-one while we're waiting?"

"Okay," she said.

"I'll ref," I said.

Wanda got the ball first, and immediately scored two goals. I could tell Ian was holding back, and I rolled my eyes.

"Come on, Ian. Play," Wanda said.

"I am."

"Playing like a girl."

Lily and I laughed. "She's right, Ian," I called. He just laughed.

Wanda scored one more goal, and then put the ball at center field. "You win, and you can sleep in my room while they're gone," she said. I could tell he was instantly motivated, and I exchanged a glance with Paige, who was sitting on my left. She had been very quiet since Wes left, but now she laughed.

"First to ten," Ian said.

The game was over in fifteen minutes.

"Ten-four, I win," Ian declared.

"Good game," Wanda said, looking out of breath.

"Tired?" he asked innocently. "I think I'm ready for bed myself," he said dramatically.

Wanda winced.

"Aw, Mel, you know I'm joking. be nice."

"Don't worry, Mel," I said. "I'll keep him in line."

"She says 'You better,'" Wanda said.

Lily and Paige looked at us, strangely.

"Jared's Melanie objects to me," Ian said, winking at them.

"That's…interesting," Paige said, raising her eyebrows.

"I wonder what's taking Wes so long?" Ian muttered. "Should we go find out? I could use some water."

"Me, too," Wanda agreed.

"Bring some back," I called.

"So, what was that about?" Paige asked me as they left.

"Oh, Ian's just in love with Wanda, and Mel kind of hates him," I said nonchalantly.

"Oh, is that all?" Lily said mocking me.

I elbowed her lightly, and we all laughed.

Then we heard shouts, and we followed the shouts until we were in the main room with the garden.

Wanda was with Jamie, Trudy beside them. Jamie's eyes lit up when he saw me.

"Lex!" He cried.

I sprinted towards him and hugged him.

"Lex, you should give him a little space. He's…had a long day. He should rest," Trudy told me. I stepped back, but I felt apprehensive. Why would him being tired mean I couldn't hug him? Then I saw Wanda's face. Her eyes were wide with fear.

"Jamie! What happened?" Wanda said.

"Wanda? What's – " I stopped short as I followed her eyes. Right above Jamie's right knee there was a large hole in his jeans, and dried blood.

"What happened Jamie?" I asked slowly.

"Thanks, Trudy," Jamie said.

"They were going to notice soon enough. C'mon, we'll talk while you limp."

Trudy and I helped Jamie walk, and he kept his weight on his left leg.

"Jamie, tell me what happened!" Wanda said.

"It's really stupid. And totally my fault. _And_ it could have happened here."

"Tell us," I said.

Jamie sighed. "I tripped with a knife in my hand."

I wave of relief washed over me. "Oh, is that all?"

"What do you mean is that all?" Wanda snapped. I was surprised. I had never seen her this angry before.

"Wanda, I'm not saying it's a good thing," I explained, "I'm just saying it's better than some of the other things that could have happened. Jamie'll heal in no time, you'll see."

Wanda nodded. "Sorry, Lex. I just…"

"Don't worry about it," I assured her.

"Should't we be taking you the other way?" Wanda asked. "You need to see Doc."

"That's where I'm coming form. That's where we went first."

"What did Doc say?" I asked.

"It's fine. He cleaned it and bandaged it and said to go lie down."

"And have you walk all this way? Why didn't you stay in the hospital?" Wanda asked. I frowned, but then Jamie mouthed, _'experiments'_, and I got it. See, Doc tries every now and then to get souls out of human bodies with souls the raiders kidnap. I cringed as I remembered mangled, bloody bodies lying on cots, Doc's hands stained with blood. I had only been in there once, and I still had nightmares about it. _What would Wanda think?_ I wondered. _She would hate us_, I realized. _All of us. She would think we were monsters, murderers._ I cringed again, and Wanda looked at me quizzically. I just shook my head.

"Jamie will be more comfortable on his bed," Trudy suggested.

"Yeah," Jamie said. "Who wants to lie around on one of those awful cots?"

Ian joined us after a moment.

"Hey, kid! Hey, Trudy!" He said.

"Hi Ian," they said in unison.

"What happened here?"

"Fell on a knife."

Ian laughed, and I elbowed him in the ribs.

"I don't think it's funny," Wanda told him tensely.

"Could happen to anybody," Ian said, punching Jamie playfully.

"Right," Jamie muttered.

"Where's everybody?" Ian asked.

"They, uh, had some unloading to finish up." I watched as Ian's expression hardened. He didn't like what they did there either.

"Are you hungry?" Wanda asked Jamie suddenly.

"Yeah," he replied.

"When _aren't_ you hungry?" I teased him. He tried to scowl at me, but after a few seconds, he lost it and a smile grew in place of his scowl.

We walked to Jamie and Wanda's room, and Jamie sat down on a mattress, looking exhausted.

"You sure you're okay?" Wanda checked.

"It's notohing. Really. Doc says I"ll be fine in a few days."

Wanda didn't look convinced.

"I'm going to go clean up," Trudy murmured, leaving quietly.

I sat down next to Jamie, and Ian leaned against the wall.

"Ian?" Wanda said, staring at Jamie's cut. "Do you mind getting us some food? I'm hungry too.

Ian looked at her, puzzled, but agreed. "I'll be back in just a second," he said, emphasizing the fact that he would not be gone long.

"You aren't mad at me?" Jamie asked once Ian had left.

"Of course not," Wanda replied.

"I know you didn't want me to go."

"You're safe now; that's all that matters." She slowly got to her feet and her hair fell across her face. "I'll be right back – I forgot something I wanted to tell Ian."

"What?" I asked, confused by her tone and behaviour.

"You two will be okay here?"

"Course we will," Jamie retorted. She ducked out of the room before I could say anything else.

"What's she up to?" I wondered.

"I don't know. Maybe you should follow her," Jamie suggested.

I thought for a moment, and then agreed. "I'll be right back Jamie. Don't fall on a knife while I'm gone, okay?" Jamie laughed, and I left.

Wanda was already at the end of the hall, and I hurried to catch up with her, trying to be as silent as possible. She stopped near the hospital, which didn't surprise me after Trudy's _great_ cover-up. I shrank against the wall when I heard voices coming towards us.

"I think it's sick," I heard Violetta mutter. "Disgusting. It's never going to work."

I pressed myself against the wall as they passed me.

After a moment of silence, I heard Wanda jogging to the hospital, and then creeping quietly once she got to the hospital entrance. I followed her, still a bit behind. I figured there was nothing I could do now, since she wouldn't listen to me, but try and explain to her afterwards, although I didn't understand it well either.

I heard Doc sobbing, and Jeb said something to him, although I couldn't make out the words.

"Wanda! Wait!" I whispered. I ran towards her, and she looked at me with wide eyes.

"Did you follow me here?" she demanded.

"Yes, but you were acting so strange, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." I put on my best innocent face, but she didn't buy it.

"Did Jamie ask you to come?"

"No. Not _ask_ exactly. Just _suggest_."

"Well I _suggest_ that you go back to Jamie now." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"But, Wanda!"

"Leave."

"No."

"Fine, stay with me. But I'm going to see what's in there."

"Wanda, please!" But Wanda ignored me. Instead she took a deep breath and entered the hospital.

I didn't follow. I was still standing outside when I heard her scream. It wasn't like before, when Kyle was trying to kill her. That was pain. This…this was _agony_. The mere sound of it made my eyes fill with tears. I ran into the room just in time to catch her.

The world around me was a blur. Wanda's pale face, frozen with fear, Jeb and Doc's bewildered eyes.

"Doc, help!"

"What's wrong with her?"

"Is it having a fit?"

"What did she see?"

"Nothing – nothing. The bodies were covered!"

There were so many voices around me, I couldn't identify them. Then I saw what had scared Wanda.

"Not the human bodies," I said. "The…the souls. Don't you see them? They're _everywhere_. You covered the _wrong bodies_."

Of course, since I was just a _kid_ nobody listened to me. I opened my mouth to speak again, but Ian interrupted me.

"Wanda? Can you hear me?" he grabbed Wanda from me and I stepped back, watching the scene unfold. I was frozen in shock and fear, looking at the silver bodies, or what was left of them, strewn across the rooms. _This _was what had frightened Wanda. Not the human bodies, the souls.

"Is she conscious?"

"I think she's going to throw up." This person, whoever they were, was right. After a moment Wanda retched all over the floor and Ian's hands. I turned away, and found myself facing Kyle. He must have just come, because I hadn't heard him before.

"There's nothing you can do, Lex. You should leave. You can visit her later, when she's…recovered."

I shook my head. The last thing I wanted to do was leave Wanda, now when she needed me most. Kyle sighed, but left. I turned back to Wanda.

"Hold on to her – don't let her hurt herself," I heard Doc said.

"Let me go!" Wanda said, struggling to free herself. "Get away from me! Get away; you're monsters! Torturers!" She screamed again, and I flinched at the sound.

That was the last thing I heard, because after a moment I sprinted out of the room. I couldn't take it anymore. I crashed into Jamie on my way to my room, and his eyes widened at my expression.

"Lex, what's the matter?" he asked.

"I – Wanda," I couldn't speak, my voice broke, and he hugged me. I didn't cry, but my arms were still shaking. I couldn't get the image of those broken silver bodies, and the blood that covered the walls. For the first time in my life, I hated being human.

There you go! Please review! Thanks! Oh, and I'll try and update sooner next time!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten:

**OK,not going into lots of detail, cuz I have to update quick! Basically, sorry it took so long, review, and LW77 should shut up so I can post faster. So blame her partially. It's okay, LW77 you're still awesome. You just need to stop talking sometimes. Enjoy!**

It took me only fifteen minutes to recover with Jamie's help and then we both raced to the south wing to see Wanda. But when we got there, the hospital was empty. Even Doc was gone, disappeared. We stood there for a few minutes, puzzled before Aaron found us.

"Are you two looking for it?" He ignored it when I snarled quietly at the word 'it'.

"Yeah," Jamie said.

Aaron just shook his head. "Doc told me you two would be looking for it. We're not sure. Ian saw it go down the east tunnel, but he couldn't tell which way it went after that."

I looked at Jamie and we had another of our silent conversations. We had this type of conversation a lot, and Kyle would always get mad at us when we did. Jamie said it was probably because he had no idea what we were saying, and I was pretty sure he was right. Kyle hated not knowing things. I shook my head and came back to reality.

_So, do we go to Wanda? _I asked.

He frowned before answering. _I think so…_He said. _Or do we give her time?_

_I think…Go, and then we can decided whether or not to leave her alone._

Jamie nodded. _Let's do it_, his eyes told me.

I nodded, and we turned and left, leaving Aaron without a word. I walked close to Jamie, and his hand brushed against mine by accident once. The result was what felt like an electric shock; although much less painful I'm sure, up my arm. We had been talking before, but now there was an awkward silence.

"Sorry," Jamie muttered.

"S'okay," I said quietly. We were quiet for a while, and then I started up the conversation again, and things were normal.

We found Wanda in the game room. I heard Ian talking to her, although I couldn't make out the words. I heard Ian stand up when we came in.

"It's just me and Jamie," I called to him. I saw the outline of his shoulders relax.

He walked towards us and whispered quietly, "You should leave. She's not…herself right now." I began to protest, but Jamie silenced me with a firm look. I looked at him quizzically but he just shook his head.

"Fine," I grumbled quietly. Then Jamie took my hand and dragged me outside until we got back to my room. He sat on my mattress and pulled me down beside him. I looked at him questioningly.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"You should listen to Ian sometimes, Lex," he said. "Especially now. He knows how much Wanda likes us both, so if he's telling us to leave, it means even we can't help her."

"When did _you_ start using your head?"

He shrugged and smiled slightly. Then he put his head on my shoulder. "Man, Lex. Things have been so busy here ever since Wanda got here."

"Yeah," I agreed. "There's been no lack of excitement, that's for sure."

We talked for a while longer, and then the next thing I knew, I was asleep. I woke up a few hours later to find Jamie lying down on my mattress, with my head on his chest. Jamie's arms were around my waist and his chin was resting on my head. I was too sleepy at first to notice the figure sitting on the other mattress, but after a few moments my eyes adjusted and I saw Kyle sitting there, smirking.

"So, the lovebirds are awake," he said. I felt Jamie move his chin, and I realized he was awake too, and his cheeks were bright red. It took me a moment to figure out why but when I did, I stood up as quickly as I could.

"Oh, hi Kyle," Jamie said awkwardly.

"When'd you get here?" I asked.

"Couple minutes ago. So, is it official yet? Have you two finally given up denying your true love?" he said dramatically.

I punched him in the stomach and he groaned. "You're getting stronger, sis. Must be the power of love." His laughter was cut short when I punched him again.

"Will you stop that?" he groaned again.

"I will if you shut up," I said brusquely.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop bugging you two about being in love. Even though you are. Kidding, kidding!" he said when I raised my fist. "Jeez, sis. Way to take a joke." He left muttering about how I had no sense of humour, but I didn't really care.

"Um...I should go," Jamie said after another awkward silence.

"Uh, yeah," I said. He left and I lay down on my mattress with a sigh. _Why were things so weird between us these days? _I thought. Then I thought back to when his hand had touched mine, back in the caves, and I had felt a jolt up my arm. Afterwards, it had been so awkward until we started talking again. And when we did, things were suddenly normal again. I sighed. Boys were so confusing.

The next two days passed uneventfully. I did my work, went to class, and hung out with Jamie. I kept myself busy so I didn't have to think about me and Jamie, or about Wanda. She was still sitting in the game room, with Ian beside her. I felt compassion towards him, even if he had forced me to leave, for staying with her.

It was the one trait all three of us O'Shea kids had. Loyalty was very important to us, and even with our hot tempers, Kyle and I would never betray each other. And of course Ian, as kind and patient as he was, would keep a secret even if he was tortured.

So on the whole; it was a very good thing that I was busy. I was anxious enough as it was, the last thing I needed was more time to worry.

Ian came out of the game room on the third day. As soon as I heard, I rushed to meet him.

" How's Wanda? Will she come out soon? Is she –" I began. I stopped short when I saw the look on Ian's face. He looked tired and sad, with dark circles under his eyes.

"Ian, what's the matter?" I asked.

"Lex, can you try talking to her? Please? She won't listen to me," he said pleadingly.

"Of course, Ian. But what –"

"She won't eat, she won't speak…I don't know what to do Lex."

"Go rest," I said firmly. "I'll talk to her." He nodded wearily and left.

I stood outside for a moment, thinking. _What could be wrong with Wanda?_ I thought. I knew she was upset, but… Then I remembered the bodies, the blood all over the walls. I shuddered as I realized why she was so upset. She was so gentle… I shook my head and took a deep breath. I had to help her. I stepped inside and was immediately cloaked in darkness. I couldn't see a thing.

"Wanda?" I called. "It's me, Lex."

She said nothing. I left for a moment to get a flashlight, and when I came back I swept it over the room until I found her. She looked horrible. Her hair was tangled and filthy, there were dark circles under her eyes, and her face was streaked with dirt.

I sat next to her silently. There was an untouched tray of food in front of her. We sat there for a long time, saying nothing. It could have been only minutes, but it felt like hours.

"Please Wanda. Say something," I said. "Yell at me for being stupid and letting you in there. For not stopping them, for being annoying and mean. Just say something!" I was scared. I had never seen Wanda like this. She was quiet in the beginning and scared too, but now… Now she looked so weak and frail.

"Wanda, please…" I begged. She was silent. I waited, and waited, and waited. But still she was silent. The whole time I thought about her, and Jamie, and finally I got fed up. Why was I wasting my time? She was just going to starve herself anyways. She was being stupid. Did she even realize what this would do to Jamie? He had tried hard to hold it together the last two days, but I could see the pain and worry in his eyes. And what about me and Ian? Didn't she see how much Ian cared for her? If she died, it might kill Ian. And me…She was like a second mother to me. I loved her. She always listened to me, or she used to anyways, she comforted me, she helped me. But if she wasn't willing to fight, if she was just going to give up, then why should I sit there with her and cause myself more pain?

"You know what Wanda?" I said quietly. "You're not doing anyone any good by dying. No one. If you really cared about those souls, you would make sure it didn't happen again. That no soul died without reason or cause." I paused, but she didn't answer. "Wanda, please, just talk to me," I said. It was my last attempt to be kind. When she said nothing, the wave of anger that had been building up inside me crashed down on me. "You're so stupid Wanda!" I exclaimed.

"You think you're so selfless by giving yourself up so you can die and be with those souls. But didn't you think about Jamie? Or Ian? Don't you see how much they love you? At least Jamie has Jared. Ian just has me and Kyle. Our parents _died_ remember? If you die too, I think it might kill Ian. That's right Wanda, I said kill. So that would make you a murderer."

She said nothing, and I felt another wave of anger come over me. "So you really don't care then? Okay whatever Wanda. If you're just going to sit here and do nothing, then _whatever_. But I'm not going to sit here with you. I've tried to be nice, I've tried to be a good friend Wanda, but if you're going to be an absolute _idiot_ then I'm not going to sit here and watch. Bye Wanda."

I got up and left. Unfortunately, my dramatic exit was marred by the fact that I tripped. Wanda didn't even turn her head. I got up and ran out the door, with tears of anger stinging my eyes. I ran into Wes as I was running, and fell flat on my back. I groaned in pain.

"Are you okay Lex?" He asked, looking worried.

I just shook my head as he helped me up.

"What's going on? Where have you been?" Then he took in my appearance and grimaced. "With Wanda?"

I nodded.

"What happened?" he asked gently as he guided me to our room. He sat me on his lap and I told him. He nodded grimly when I was done.

"Poor Ian. And you and Jamie too. You're right about Ian, though. He sure loves her. Just like you love Jamie." I sighed, too tired even to hit Wes for the Jamie remark.

"I'm not kidding though Lex. About Jamie, I mean," he said, looking seriously at me. "You guys _need_ each other. I don't care if you punch me every time I say you two are in love. Maybe you aren't…like that. But I know, and you know too, that you and Jamie are like brother and sister, at the very least. Just…promise me you'll never take him for granted okay?" I nodded. Wes was one of my favourite people, but I had never thought he would be giving me insightful advice, but he was right. I loved Jamie…But was it like a brother, or like…Like Ian loved Wanda? I had no idea, and I sighed.

Wes smiled at me sadly. "You don't have to figure it out now," he said as if reading my thoughts. "Just don't take him for granted. I never told anyone, but before the invasion, I was engaged. We were going to be married in a few months when they came. We escaped, and we were living an old warehouse. But then the Seekers came. I tried to save her, but she told me to go, to save myself. She made me leave, and she got captured." He looked so sad, I had to blink back tears.

"What...what was her name?" I asked.

"Emma," he said mournfully.

"You can leave now Wes," I said after a moment of silence. "I'll be okay. And I'm sorry about Emma," I told him.

He nodded. "It worked out okay though. Lily, she's amazing." I smiled, and he hugged me, then left. I sighed. Why couldn't they have just left us alone? We had lost so many... My thoughts were interrupted when, a few moments after he left, Lily came in.

"Lex, there's something you need to know."

"What is it?" I asked wearily. Just what I needed. Another thing to worry about.

"It's Jamie." Those two words changed everything. I sprang up from the mattress. I realized that I hadn't seen Jamie since yesterday at lunch. I had been on watering duty, and he had been making soap. I hadn't thought about it, but now I realized I didn't see him at dinner either. _What could have happened?_ I wondered.

"Bring me to him," I said. She led me through the corridors until we got to the place I was praying not to have to visit again for a long time…the south wing.

I stopped outside and took a deep breath. _For Jamie_, I thought. Then I walked in. I kept my gaze on the floor, just in case.

"Lex!" Jamie exclaimed. My gaze went to his right leg. There was a two-inch cut. This wouldn't have been so bad, except that the skin around it was swollen, shiny, and a bright, frightening shade of red.

"Jamie," I murmured.

"Aw, Lex, it's not that bad. Just a cut."

"Just a cut," I repeated.

"Lex?" Jamie said, looking worried now.

"You. Are. Such. An. Idiot!" I said. Then I marched forward and hugged him fiercely. He was grinning when I stepped back. I was trying to hold back a grin. Then I turned serious again.

"I'm telling you Jamie. You had better get better soon, or I swear I'll-"

"Thanks Lex. You always know just what to say," he said. I held back a laugh for a few seconds before it broke through.

"I'll be fine," Jamie said. "So what happened with Wanda?"

"Jamie, I'm sorry, I –" at that moment Jamie interrupted me.

"Wanda," Jamie said. "Oh, you're okay. Oh."

I turned to see Wanda standing next to Ian. I felt happy at first, but then I felt angry. So now after she had caused us so much pain she came back and was so great again? I shook my head angrily.

"I'll see you later Jamie," I said.

"Lex, wait – " Wanda said, but I just stalked past her without another word. I was halfway down the hall when I heard Wanda calling me again. I spun around angrily.

"What do you want Wanda?" I barked.

"Look, I'm sorry Lex, I just…I don't know what came over me," she said.

"Do you have any idea how much pain you just caused me, Jamie, and Ian? I thought Ian was going to _die_ of grief."

"I know, I know," she said, sounding anguished. "I was stupid, I was an idiot, I know. Just please forgive me Lex. I'm so sorry." I stared at her for a few moments, at her pleading eyes, her trembling hands. I tried very hard to be angry, but I couldn't. I just couldn't be mad at Wanda.

I smiled a little, and said, "We've missed you Wanda." She sighed in relief.

"Thanks, Lex. I promise I'll make it up to you, all of you."

"You can start by going back to Jamie," I said. "He needs you."

"He needs you too," she said. I nodded, not bothering to argue, and we walked back together.

Wanda talked to Jamie while I sat on the cot next to him and held his hand, trying to memorize his figure, his happy, glowing face. I was in a dreamlike trance until Wanda got up and walked out with Ian. I raised my eyebrows at Jamie and he shrugged.

_Should I follow them? _I asked silently.

He paused, then nodded. I could feel the other people in the room's gazes on us, but I tried to ignore it.

I got up and said, "I'll be right back. _I'm_ hungry, even if you aren't." Jamie laughed weakly. I looked at him anxiously and then said," Rest, okay Jamie?" He nodded obediently and I started to leave. I stopped suddenly, and on an impulse, turned back to him and kissed him on the cheek gently. Then I left quietly, feeling everyone's gazes on me again.

I found them in one of the corridors leading to the game room. It was so dark I almost didn't see them. But then I noticed movement, and I stopped silently. My jaw dropped at the sight before me. Ian's arms were around Wanda's waist and he was kissing her passionately. I was shocked. I knew Ian loved Wanda, but I never knew Wanda felt the same way.

Suddenly I saw Wanda pull away and I stepped back quietly. Unfortunately, this was the wrong thing to do. Ian saw me and squinted to see who it was.

I decided I might as well make my presence known on my own time, so I whistled loudly. "Well, well, well," I said, aware that I was sounding like Kyle. "Ian finally got some."

"Lex!" Ian exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I think the better question is what are _you _two doing here? Together? And performing an activity that I think should be rated at least PG13."

"Lex…" Ian said.

"Really, Ian. And you call me and Jamie lovebirds?"

Even though it was dark, I could tell Wanda was blushing.

"Lex…It's not – " she started.

"Whatever you say, Wanda," I said grinning. Then I raced to the kitchen and then back to Jamie, since I couldn't come back empty handed. I whispered my report quietly in his ear so the others wouldn't hear. He grinned when I finished, although he was as surprised as I was. No one mentioned my kiss.

"Really? I mean I knew Ian, but…"

"That's what I was thinking too!" I said. "And it's great and all, but what about – " Doc interrupted our conversation by telling me I should leave Jamie so he could get some rest. I obediently left after saying goodbye to Jamie. I couldn't wait to tell Kyle.

Unfortunately, I never got the chance to tell Kyle. I went back to my empty room and slept. The next morning Kyle shook me awake, and before I could tell him about Ian, he grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me outside.

"Where are we going?" I complained sleepily. "Do you know what time it is?"

"No, and neither do you so shut up." I smiled. He was right, we never knew what time it was here. It probably just _felt_ early.

"It's not funny, Lex."

I scowled. "What's the matter with you? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"

"Lex, listen to me. There's nothing wrong with me. It's Jamie you should be worried about." I stiffened at Jamie's name.

"Jamie? What's wrong with Jamie?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice level.

"He's…not doing so well, Lex." Kyle looked at me sympathetically, but it didn't help. I walked faster, not even noticing Kyle anymore. _Jamie, Jamie, Jamie…_I thought over and over again.

I cringed when I finally saw him. There was ice on his forehead, the back of his neck, and his chest, but his skin was still bright red and he was sweating. His eyes were closed, and I quickly blinked away the tears in my eyes. I was done crying.

"Jamie, what… what happened?" I murmured.

"_Aw, Lex, it's not that bad. Just a cut_."His words echoed through my head.

"You'll be fine?" I scoffed quietly. "Look at yourself! Darn it, Jamie, you're such an idiot. Falling on a knife," I muttered. Doc was saying something, but I didn't pay attention.

The only thing I saw was Jamie's red face, and the only thing I heard was his ragged breathing. But then I understood what they were talking about. Jamie needed antibiotics. And they didn't have them.

"They're gone, Doc." I Kyle was saying.

At that moment I heard someone walk in. I didn't bother looking up until I heard Wanda say "There has to be a way." Her face was worse than mine. Her voice sounded dead, and her eyes were full of anguish.

"Maybe someplace small," Jared said. "The gun would make too much noise, but if there were enough of us to overwhelm them, we could use knives."

"No," Wanda said, crossing her arms. "No. That's not what I meant. Not killing – "

Jeb interrupted her. "There's no way kid. Somebody'd get a call off to the Seekers." I cringed at the name. "Even if we were in and out, something like that would bring 'em down on us in force. We'd be hard-pressed to make it out at all. And they'd follow."

"Wait," Wanda said. "Can't you –" But she was interrupted again.

"I don't want the boy to die, either, but we can't risk everyone's lives for one person," Kyle said. "People die here; it happens. We can't get crazy to save one boy."

My blood was boiling now. "How can you say that Kyle?" I hissed. "What would you do if it was Jodi? Would you give up? Just let her die?"

Kyle shook his head angrily. "That's not the same. Besides, we're not talking about Jodi, we're – "

"We have to save him," Wanda said.

"Hon, we can't just walk in there and ask," Jeb said, turning to her.

"You can't. But I can, Wanda said suddenly, her face lighting up with revelation. Then I understood. She was a _soul_. They wouldn't care if she took something, it would be normal for her. She could save Jamie!

"Yes!" I murmured. "Wanda, you're brilliant!"

"They aren't _suspicious_. Not at all. Even if I'm a horrible liar, they would never suspect me of anything. They wouldn't even…" I stopped listening there. I was too busy fantasizing about Wanda. She could just walk in, get the medicine, and walk out. It was perfect! I thought of Jamie's face, usually so full of energy, compared to what it looked like now. I winced slightly, and then straightened. Jamie was _not_ going to die.

My thoughts were interrupted by Kyle's voice. "Patient, isn't it?" he was saying. "Bided its time well, don't you think?" I was confused.

"What are you taking about?" I asked him. "Wanda can save Jamie!" Suddenly I realized what they were saying. They thought this was Wanda's escape route. "No!" I exclaimed. "She would never –"

"Even if there was any way we could let you outside, Wanda…I just couldn't trust drugs I don't understand. Jamie's a tough kid. His system will fight this off, Doc said.

"We'll go out again, Wanda," Ian murmured. "We'll find something. We won't come back until we do."

"That's not good enough," I said quietly.

"Jared," Wanda pleaded. "You know. You _know_ I would never let anything hurt Jamie. You know I can do this. Please."

I was hopeful for a moment, as he held Wanda's gaze. But then he replied, "No Wanda. No."

Wanda's knees buckled and she crawled over to Jamie, sobbing and chanting his name.

"Please, Ian," I begged. "For Jamie, please." But Ian just shook his head sadly. I looked back at Jamie and the tears started to flow.

"You're all idiots!" I cried. "You'll be the reason he dies! Damn it! Why are you all so stupid?" My tears were rushing down my cheeks as I yelled, and when I was finished, I ran out of the room, everyone moving to the side to let me through.

I collapsed in the hallway. Jared was the one who came after me, strangely enough.

"Listen to me, Lex. Get a hold of yourself and listen to me," he whispered harshly. "We're not going to let Jamie die. I'll sneak out tonight with Wanda and she'll get the medicine. Just don't tell anybody okay?"

"I'm coming with you Jared."

"Are you crazy? Do you have any idea what could happen if something goes wrong?"

"I'm coming with you. For Jamie. I have to help him. It's the least I can do. Let me go with you Jared, please."

Jared sighed, and then nodded. "You always were stubborn. Just like Kyle. Except better looking," he added with a small smile when I scowled. "I guess that's why Jamie likes you so much. You know you're everything to him right? He couldn't live without you."

I nodded. "And I couldn't live without him." Jared nodded again, and then helped me up.

"Now get going, before somebody finds us. I'll wake you up when it's time to go." He gave me a final hug and then left. I wandered through the caves for a while longer, my head stuck in the clouds as I hoped and prayed that Jamie would be all right.

When Jared came to wake me up I was already wide awake. I hadn't been able to sleep much, and when I had slept I had tossed and turned. Kyle's snoring didn't help. Jared didn't seem surprised to see me up, and he helped me up silently. Then he went to wake up Wanda while I stood guard outside. Before we left, I crept silently to Jamie's side.

"I'll be back I promise Jamie. I'm not going to let you die." I kissed him gently on the cheek, as I had before and took one last look at him before meeting Jared and Wanda outside.

We blindfolded Wanda, so that the others would be at least a _little _less mad. Then Jared lifted Wanda onto his shoulder and we started to run. When we finally reached the exit, it was a relief to smell the fresh air. I hadn't been outside in months, and part of me desperately wanted to run across the open desert. But the other part of me knew better than to take this situation lightly. Jamie's life was at stake and it was not the time to be playing.

Jared set Wanda down and she ran blindfolded, although we each grabbed an arm so she wouldn't fall. I didn't pay attention the conversation between Wanda and Jared, all I was focused on was running and Jamie. We reached the jeep, but it took at least an hour. We got in quickly and Jared blindfolded Wanda again. Then Jared started the car and we were off. The wind felt great, but just like before, the only thing I was thinking about was Jamie. And how I would not, under any circumstances, let him die.

Okay, now go review okay? I'll try to update faster next time. Bye!


	11. Chapter 11

**Yeah! I finally got the next chapter up! Sorry it took so long. I won't go into details, but basically I've been pretty busy. The next chapter should be up soon, though, because I'm already half done. I realized that I haven't actually given you a description of Lexi, so I thought for fun, you should try and guess what she looks like. However, if you've been on a certain forum (which I won't name so you can't find it easily) you can still post your "guess" just don't tell anyone you know you're right. I'll either incorporate Lexi's true appearance in the next few chapters, or I'll just post her appearance on my profile. So take a chance and tell me what you think Lexi looks like! Sorry, that sounded like a really bad commercial. Just enjoy the story and review, okay?**

I knew I should have been scared, but for some reason, I was perfectly happy. The wind blew my hair back and the moon lit the desert before me. I felt adrenaline pumping through my veins, yet I felt peaceful. My heartbeat sounded like _Ja-mie_, _Ja-mie_, _Ja-mie_. My mind wandered aimlessly, jumping from one topic to another.

We drove for a few minutes before reaching the rock slide where the "less-conspicuous vehicles", as Jared called them, were stored. Jared and Wanda had been talking the whole way, but I hadn't paid attention until now.

"You don't have to keep your eyes down," Jared was saying. "There's nothing here to give us away. Just in case this place was ever discovered."

I watched as Wanda looked around, and then as Jared led her to where the spare clothes were stored.

"Put them on," he ordered. Wanda hesitated, and I wondered for a moment why, but then I realized as she turned around and pulled her shirt off as quickly as she could.

"Jared," I whispered. He had already figured it out and had turned away, and even though it was dark, I could tell his cheeks were red.

He cleared his throat and said," Oh. I'll, uh, get the car."

I climbed out of the car and sat on the jeep's hood, staring at the wall, unsure of what to do. I didn't have to wonder for long though, because a few seconds later, Jared drove up in the sedan and Wanda and I got in.

"Let's go," Jared said.

"Hold on," Wanda replied. I watched as she crouched to look at herself in the side mirror. "I can't go in with my face like this," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"No soul would have a scar like this. They would have had it treated. They'll wonder where I've been. They'll ask questions."

I felt my eyes widen and I saw a mirror image of my expression on Jared's face. Then his eyes narrowed. "Maybe you should have thought of this before I snuck you out. If we go back now, they'll think it was a ploy for you to learn the way out."

"We're not going back without medicine for Jamie," Wanda said firmly.

"What do you propose we do, then, Wanda?"

"I'll need a rock," Wanda said sighing. "You're going to have to hit me."

"Wanda…" I said.

"We don't have time. I'd do it myself, but I can't get the angle right. There's no other way."

"I don't think I can…do it," Jared said.

"Then Lex, you'll have to."

"But – "

"For Jamie." I felt my heart pound. _For Jamie_, I thought. "It won't hurt you too bad, will it?"

"No, they'll heal me and I'll be fine. Please Lex, for Jamie."

I sighed. "Alright, but I don't like it."

"You can't seriously – "Jared started.

"Oh, come on Jared. Don't make this any harder than it has to be. It won't kill her, and if it'll save Jamie…" I wasn't sure who I was reassuring, Jared, or myself.

"She's right, Jared. Lex," she said, turning to me, "you just have to get the first few layers of skin off. Just hide the scar, that's all. C'mon, we have to hurry. Jamie…"

"If anyone's doing it, I am," Jared said suddenly.

"But – " I protested.

"I'm doing it," he repeated firmly. I sighed and nodded.

"Fine," I said.

"If you're going to do it, do it quick Jared," Wanda said. She paused for a moment, then said, "Mel says do it now. And make sure you do it hard enough. Get it all the first time."

Jared was silent.

"Do it, Jared!" I heard him gasp, and I watched as Wanda squeezed her eyes shut. I saw Jared lift the rock, but then I had to look away. It was too much, even if it was for Jamie. All I heard was a loud thud and a groan from Wanda.

When I turned back, I saw Jared hugging Wanda.

"Wanda? Mel? I'm sorry!"

"'S okay," Wanda said quietly. "We're okay. Did you get it all?" That was when I looked at her face. I cringed immediately. Her face was red with blood, and it was all down her face and neck.

"Ahh," I heard Jared moan. "I took half your face off. I'm so sorry."

"No, that's good. That's good. Let's go," Wanda said.

"Right," I said, trying not to look at Wanda's face as we got in the car.

The cool air helped to calm my nerves, but I took a couple deep breaths, just in case.

"Good job," I heard Wanda whispered. I looked over to see her looking in the mirror on the visor.

"How much pain are you in?" I asked.

"Not much." I could hear the lie in her voice. "Anyway, it won't hurt much longer. How far are we from Tucson?" she asked Jared.

At that moment we reached the pavement. Jared stopped to pull off the tarps and chains from the car and put them in the trunk. Then he got back in and was about to turn on the headlights when Wanda whispered something. I couldn't hear her, so I leaned forward, since I was in the backseat.

"It can't look like I _walked_ to the hospital like this. Too many questions. I have to drive. You hide in the back and tell me where to go. Is there something you can hide under?"

I nodded, seeing her point. "Yeah. There's a blanket we can hide under."

"Okay," Jared said slowly, "okay. But if you take us somewhere I don't tell you to go…"

I looked at him, surprised at his doubt. The hurt on Wanda's face told me she was surprised too.

"Shoot me," Wanda said flatly. I shuddered at the thought, but said nothing.

"Turn right at the road," Jared said once he had climbed in the backseat.

"Lights," he said a moment later. Wanda switched them on and their bright glow lit up the road. I soon learned that Wanda was the slowest driver in history.

"You could drive a little faster," I said finally.

"I'm right at the limit," she protested.

"Souls don't speed?" Jared asked.

Wanda laughed, but it sounded unnatural, like she was going a little crazy. Maybe she was. A couple months in a cave having to put up with people 24/7 could do that to you.

"We obey all laws, traffic laws included," she said.

So we traveled slowly, with Jared whispering orders every now and then. Finally we reached the hospital.

"Quick, give me the knife," Wanda whispered. I opened my mouth to speak, but Jared interrupted me.

"Wanda…I know you love Jamie, but I really don't think you could use it. You're not a fighter," Jared said.

"Not for them. I need a wound," she said.

I gasped. "You _have_ a wound. That's enough!"

"I need one like Jamie's. I don't know enough about Healing. I have to see exactly what to do. I would have done it before, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to drive."

"No," I said. "Not again."

"Give it to me now, Jared," Wanda said, ignoring me. "Someone will notice if I don't go inside soon."

I watched as Jared thought for a moment, and then gave it to her.

"Jared, what are you doing?" I asked.

"What needs to be done," he said. I would have protested longer if not for the look in Jared's eyes. _It has to be done_, they seemed to say. _For Jamie_. I sighed in resignation.

"Be very careful. Not too deep," he said, turning back to Wanda.

"You want to do it?" Wanda asked.

"No."

"Okay."

I watched as she took the knife and plunged it into her left arm. Her scream was terrible, just like it had been when Kyle had come after her. She tried to muffle it in her headrest, but it was still loud.

"Wanda!" I exclaimed.

"Let me see!" Jared said.

"Stay there," she panted. "Don't move." Jared didn't listen. He grabbed at her arm, but she pulled away and jumped out of the car. "I'll be right back," she said, still gasping a little.

I sat next to Jared and watched her stumble across the lot. When she entered, I saw the woman behind the reception desk jump to her feet. They talked for a moment, and then disappeared down the hall.

The worst part was waiting. Jared and I were silent as we watched the front entrance. We had no idea when she would come back, if at all. _What if they find out she's helping us?_ I wondered. I shuddered at the thought of Wanda being sent to another planet, and at Mel being replaced with some other soul. _What if they got the information out of Mel with another soul?_ Our haven, our sanctuary, would be lost. We would all become one of _them_. I grimaced and shook my head of those thoughts.

Instead, I thought about how we would be welcomed if we got back. Kyle would be furious. So would Ian, and Sharon, and Maggie, and everyone else. But if it saved Jamie… _If_. Suddenly, a horrible idea came into my head. What if the medicine didn't help Jamie? _No, it will work. It will. Wanda said so,_ I thought.

At that moment Jared elbowed me hard in the ribs.

"Ow!" I whispered.

He was silent, but he nodded his head towards the hospital entrance. The woman we had seen before was returning to her desk, and Wanda was walking out into the parking lot. She got into the car without a word.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Shh," Wanda said. "Wait."

She waved to the woman behind the desk and then drove out of the lot.

"Making friends?" Jared asked.

"All souls are friends," she said.

"Are you all right?" I asked again.

"I'm healed."

"Let us see."

She stretched her left arm across her body, and where the cut had been, there was a tiny pink line. In the faint light from the moon, I saw that her face was healed too. It looked just like it had before. All my previous worries disappeared. It worked! It would save Jamie! I breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring the quizzical look from Jared.

"Your face!" Jared said as he looked at her under the light of a streetlamp.

"It's healed, too. Naturally."

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

"Of course not. It feels like nothing happened to it in the first place."

"Did they suspect anything? Do you think they'll call the Seekers?" Jared asked.

"No. I told you they wouldn't be suspicious. They didn't even check my eyes. I was hurt, so they healed me," she said, shrugging.

Jared asked something else, but my mind drifted after that, back to the caves, to home, where it belonged. I smiled as I watched memories with Wes, Lily, Paige, Ian, Kyle, Jeb, Jamie, and many others. Most of them were with Jamie though. I couldn't wait to see him again, especially now that we could save him. I made a mental note to thank Wanda later, but before I could finish my thought, I was fast asleep.

I woke up to the sound of loud, harsh voices. "Stop!" one voice said.

"It's just us. Yes, yes, look. See? I'm still me," Jared's voice said. He said something else, but I wasn't fully conscious, so I didn't hear.

"Jared, you _idiot!_" I groaned at the sound of Kyle's voice. "What were you thinking?"

I struggled to open my eyes and almost fell over when I saw the ground so far away. Then I realized Jared was carrying me, and I relaxed.

"Thanks, Jared. Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep," I said as he put me down.

"Don't worry about it. Just help me with Kyle, okay?" he said quietly.

I nodded. "Kyle – "I began. Unfortunately, I hadn't noticed that Kyle hadn't seen me until now, or I wouldn't have spoken.

"Lex! You are the stupidest, most annoying, idiotic, stubborn – "I'll stop there, because the list was pretty long. Use your imagination. It's not too hard. All you have to do is think of the nastiest, most insulting words you can think of, and that's what Kyle said.

I was about to hurl a bunch of insults back at him, but as soon as he said the last word, he charged at me. I wasn't expecting this, otherwise I would have moved. But since I had no idea he was going to hit me, I stood, frozen in surprise.

The next thing I knew, I was on the ground, and for some reason, it felt very wet. I felt my stomach lurch as I realized why, and I turned on my side and threw up. My head throbbed and the whole left side of my face stung. Then, as I threw up again, I felt a wave of exhaustion go through me, and I collapsed onto my back. The last thing I heard was the sound of Jamie's voice. I'm not sure if he was really there or not, but I heard him.

"Lex! Lex!" he cried. Then the world turned dark, and I drifted into oblivion.

I woke up only moments later. Again, I woke to the sound of angry voices.

"Kyle! What did you do? You jackass!" It was Ian who spoke this time.

I strained my ears, but all I could hear was a loud cracking noise. I wondered what had happened, but I didn't dare open my eyes, for fear that Kyle turned on me again.

As I regained consciousness, my head started to throb again. I moaned quietly, but it wasn't quiet enough.

"She's waking up!" I heard someone whisper.

"Come on, Lex, wake up," I heard another voice say. I think it might have been Wes' voice, but I'm not sure.

Slowly, I forced my eyes open. I couldn't tell where I was, because someone was leaning over me. My eyes were still adjusting so I couldn't tell who it was at first. Then as my eyes focused, I saw Jeb's face inches from mine.

"That's a girl," he said. "Now, c'mon. We gotta get you inside. Kyle landed a nasty blow on your face, and Doc'll want to see it to make sure there's not too much damage." I tried to sit up, but immediately I collapsed from the pain in the left side of my face.

"Worse than I thought," I heard Jeb mutter. "Jared, can you come here? I'm gonna need some help."

"I'm a little busy right now, Jeb!" I heard him call. I looked around slowly, so my face wuoldn't hurt too much, and finally I found him. He was breaking up a fight, and when I realized who was fighting, I sprang to my feet despite the pain.

"Ian! Kyle! What are you _doing_?" I yelled. My head was pounding now, and I struggled to remain upright.

They stopped fighting for a moment and looked at me. I guess I must have looked pretty bad, because then Ian turned to Kyle and yelled, "Look at her! You did that to her! You – "his words were lost because Kyle punched him in the face.

"Me! You're the one who let her go! I told you both to stay away from it!" Kyle yelled.

"It! Wanda is not an it! And you really think I would've let Lex go?" Ian hollered, kicking Kyle.

Kyle doubled over in pain, and was about to charge at Ian when I screamed, "Will you two stop it?"

They stopped abruptly and looked at me.

"You two are both such idiots! Kyle, first of all, Wanda is not an it! Wanda is a _she_! She's a person too! And second of all, Ian didn't _let_ me go, I went with Jared and Wanda by my own free will! As for you Ian, you should stop acting like you're so much smarter than everybody else. That may be true when it comes to Kyle, but not to everyone else! And both of you need to stop trying to control me! I'm not five anymore, and neither of you are my parents! Mom and Dad are _gone_! I get it! So why can't you just accept that and let me be? I did this for Jamie! Not for me, or for anyone else! For Jamie!"

They stared at me in shock as I tried to catch my breath. Then Kyle stalked towards me, his eyes blazing. I honestly thought he was going to hit me again, and maybe he would have, if Ian hadn't stopped him.

"Leave her, Kyle. We can deal with her later." I opened my mouth to protest, but he just held up his hand. "That's right, Lex. This isn't over. But for now, we'll postpone it. There are more important things to deal with."

"Thank you Ian," I said.

"Now that that's all over, we need to get you to the hospital," Jeb said, taking my arm and helping me. "I'm surprised you didn't fall over during your little spiel. Quite impressive, actually," he whispered as we walked. "I've never seen anyone talk that way to Kyle, not even Jared. But what you did wasn't too smart, I gotta say. You coulda been captured by the Seekers, and nobody woulda liked that. Now, now, don't you get sharp with me, young lady," he said when I started to argue. "We'll discuss that later, like Ian said. For now, we just need to get you fixed up."

I nodded submissively, and we walked in silence the rest of the way. When we got closer to the south wing, my heart started to pound. My thoughts turned back to Jamie, and I felt a strange, nervous excitement.

**So there you go. Like I said, I'm half done the next chapter, so it should be up soon. As always, please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey! Long time no see, huh? Okay, I have to admit, I've been waiting for this chapter since I started this story. Hopefully you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

Okay, so you know how in movies and books the first kiss is all romantic? Like the guy and the girl stare into each other's eyes, and in the background romantic music is playing? And then the guy leans in and the girl bats her eyes and they kiss? And then these random birds and animated, magically-talking animals come out of nowhere and start singing? Which, by the way, I think would be really creepy. But anyways, apparently that doesn't happen in real life. I know, shocker. Or maybe it's just me. Kyle always said I was an odd child. Then again, he also said Santa Claus used bungee cords to go down the chimney, so...

But back to my first kiss. Instead of all that, my first kiss went something like this. I had just entered the south wing, and was walking towards where Jamie lay on his cot. Suddenly he woke up, sprang to his feet and yelled, "Where the hell have you been?" I was too shocked to reply, but I wouldn't have been able to anyways, because before I had the chance to, he "planted one on me", so to speak. Yep, Jamie kissed me. Which would have been great and all, except for what happened next.

As he was kissing me, I sort of discovered that I couldn't breathe, and I kind of ended up having to pull back as quickly as I could so I could get some air. This wouldn't have been that bad either, except that as I was pulling away, I choked on my spit, and ended up bending over coughing as Jamie stood beside me, his cheeks bright red.

And then, to top it all off, I, being such a genius, asked, "What – the heck – was that?" in between coughs.

"Um, me kissing you?" Jamie said uncomfortably.

"You kissed me," I said. "You _kissed _me," I repeated intelligently. "Why did you do _that_?" I asked.

"Why do you think I would?" Jamie said quietly. Something in his tone made me look up, and when I did, I saw his eyes blazing. What he said next almost made me faint. I probably would have, too except, I couldn't faint because I had so many thoughts going through my head. "Because I love you, Lex. You've always been my best friend, ever since I met you. But during these past few months...something changed. And then when you left with Wanda and Jared, all I could think about was whether or not you'd come back. And thinking about you..._dying_…that made me sick. And I realized that I _need_ you Lex."

He loved me? He loved me? That was all I could think about for a moment. And then with a start of revelation, I figured it out. Why I always felt that nervous energy when I was around Jamie. Why I felt that jolt of energy the other day when his hand brushed against mine. Why for some reason, even if we were separated for only a few minutes, I began to miss him. The reason I felt all these things was that…

"I love you too, Jamie," I said. I watched a smile grow on Jamie's face and the next thing I knew, I was kissing him. And this time, kissing Jamie wasn't too bad.

At least until Kyle walked in. He whistled loudly, and Jamie and I flew apart, although we didn't go far.

"Well, it's about time," Kyle said.

Then Jamie surprised me again. He put his arm around my waist casually and drew me closer to him. Not that I minded. It was just strange, after having to deny that we were _together_ for so long, to finally realize that I couldn't hit Kyle, because he was right. That was strange to think about. Kyle was almost never right, although he wouldn't admit it. It was even stranger that he was right about _this_ of all things. I had never imagined Kyle predicting my love life.

"So, you two are finally a couple," Kyle said, interrupting my thoughts. He was grinning from ear to ear, but I for once, I didn't care.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

Kyle shrugged. "I'm supposed to get you two for dinner. But if you need some time _alone_, then I can come back later."

"C'mon Kyle, give us a break," Jamie said. "First you bug us about being a couple, and now when we finally are you _still_ bug us?"

"Yup. You should've guessed that though, kid. I would think you know me well enough by now that you know I'd never pass up a joke."

I sighed and rolled my eyes at Jamie. He laughed and then told Kyle, "I think we're fine Kyle, but thanks for your _consideration_."

"Anytime, kid," Kyle said, grinning.

And as I walked out with Jamie and Kyle, for once I was completely happy. Unfortunately, things were about to get a lot worse, and although I didn't know it, it would be a long time before I felt this happy again.

**So, what did you think? Was it way too mushy? I tried not to make it so much, but I think it probably is at least a little bit. Ah well, at least I tried. As always, please review! This is Serafina Silvertongue, signing out.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, so this isn't an actual chapter (no I'm not _that_ fast) but there are some things I need to say, and I figured this was the best way to get them out there. First of all, no, that's not the end of the story. I'm pretty sure there are about two or three chapters left, but I'll have to see. **

**Secondly, I forget things quite easily, and I just realized I had forgotten something SUPER important. You see, I am not the only brilliant genius behind Serendipity. And unfortunately, I have not given credit to the other brilliant geniuses who have helped me write this story. **

**So first of all, I would like to thank LW77 for her amazing wisdom and guidance. And secondly, I would like to apologize deeply for my horrible memory and thank profoundly for her exceptional ideas, especially for Chapter Ten of Serendipity.... xXxhurting-insidexXx!!!!! I am so sorry that I forgot to mention you before, and hopefully this will help me make it up to you, at least a little bit. So thanks to both amazing writers, and everybody who has reviewed! Thank you and good night! *walks off dramatically* *runs back on and bows quickly...a few times* *walks off dramatically again***


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